Bound to Him

by georgesgurl117

At the behest of Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape is forced to commit a deplorable act against one who should have been under his protection. Bound by Dark Magic, he and Hermione Granger must learn to trust one another and themselves as they work together to thwart the dark plots surrounding them.

62. Developments

A/N: Thanks for continuing to pester me about updating. I've put off a great deal of academic writing to pound this out in the past three days, so I hope it's up to your expectations. I'm blaming my muse for roping in a new aspect to this story that I had not foreseen until yesterday. Hmmm... oh well.

Also, I received a PM earlier this week, notifying me that this story has been nominated for a number of awards in the 1st Annual Beechwood Academy Fan Fiction Awards. There are more details on my profile page.

Thanks again!

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Bound to Him

Chapter 62

A heavy silence descended upon the room as all three sets of eyes remained fixed on the small vial in the boy's hand. Eventually, Snape took in a deep breath and cleared his throat. "What did she say when she gave this to you?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Not much. Just that I should figure out how to use this because she can't be expected to do everything for me. Oh, and she told me not to trust you with anything."

Hermione flicked her concerned gaze to the man in time to see him arch an eyebrow.

"Did you tell her that you were seeking my assistance?"

"Do I look like a fucking idiot to you?" the blonde snapped; his face twisting into an ugly sneer. "Of course I didn't!"

The professor paused for a minute while studying the boy's face for any traces of falsity. Seeing none, he shifted his weight. "Did she say anything regarding the concentration of the extract?"

"No."

"Toxicity of the original plant?"

"No."

"Where she procured –"

"No!" Draco hissed. "She didn't tell me anything!"

With a deep sigh, Severus held out his hand. In response, the boy pulled his hand back from him. "Why should I give it to you? Aunt Bella says you're only out to make yourself look better."

"And you think your dear Auntie Bellatrix cares anything for you?" the man snarled. "Or your mother, for that matter?"

"She got me this, didn't she?" he protested, brandishing the poison.

"With no information or further aid!" Snape argued. "Without knowing anything of that extract's strength or age or concentration or origin or preparation, there is no way to know whether it will even work! She could be setting you up to fail!"

"And if you take credit for it, I still fail," the younger wizard stated angrily. "Don't I?"

His Head of House let out a long breath and wiped his face. "Draco, the task was set to you. If I step in and take the credit for performing your task without his explicit authorization, what do you think would happen to me?"

Though he said nothing, the pureblood noticeably gulped.

"Do you think I enjoy flailing about on the floor, having my head repeatedly slammed into the stone, burning from the inside out, or having my flesh ripped to shreds?" Severus growled, causing both students to flinch. "Because I assure you, Mr. Malfoy, I do not!"

His face flushing in shame, the boy ducked his head and held out the flask.

Snatching it from his hand, the older wizard stared at the liquid through the glass for a moment and then proceeded to screw off the cap. When he did so, Hermione failed to stifle a small gasp.

"There is no reason to fret, Miss Granger," he murmured without so much as looking in her direction. "I do not plan on ingesting it."

The witch swallowed nervously as Draco glanced back at her with a strange look on his face. It took her a moment of consideration, but she realized that his expression was one of fear.

"I cannot tell purely from observation as to its relative toxicity," Snape stated decisively. "I shall have to study it under more thorough means."

The blonde's eyes tracked the vial as it was set upon the desk. "How long will that take?"

"A few days, perhaps," the man replied with a shrug.

"But –"

Draco suddenly paled in horror as the fireplace flared green, and Hermione similarly felt a knot form in her stomach. Snape, on the other hand, was the picture of calm as he stepped in front of his desk, effectively hiding the poison.

"Severus…" Dumbledore paused in the midst of his transmission as he realized that the room was occupied by more than just his Potions Master. "Oh, I see that you are in the middle of something."

"Just a brief conversation on what does and does not constitute appropriate Prefect behavior," the Slytherin Head smirked, folding his arms. "Is there something that requires my assistance?"

"When you are free, yes," the Headmaster nodded. "A death has been discovered in Hogsmeade… apparent Death Eater involvement."

"I see," Snape stated, donning a serious tone and expression. "I shan't be but a moment."

With an understanding nod, the elder wizard leaned away from his fireplace and disappeared from sight. When the fireplace had returned to its usual status, the spy slowly turned to look at the ashen-faced boy. "You were saying?"

"She wouldn't have…" Trailing off, Draco desperately ran his hands over his face. "Why?"

"With Bellatrix, why not?" the professor sneered. "Whatever sense she once had was eaten away at by the dementors."

"Maybe somebody saw her?" Hermione suggested, stepping forward. She could feel her gut twisting further while eyeing the boy's downtrodden expression.

"She could just have Obliviated them!" he squeaked before glaring at her. "She didn't need to kill anyone!"

Severus inhaled loudly as he leaned over his desk to place the vial in his drawer. "That being said, I do need to find out what transpired."

The Gryffindor cleared her throat as she watched him stride toward the fireplace. "And if Harry talks to the Aurors?"

"Fuck," the man mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Draco's head snapped up as he glanced between the two of them. "What?'

"Harry saw you slip away and tried to follow you," Hermione explained quietly. "He saw you come out of the woods and head back to the castle. He thought you must have been meeting someone."

The boy's eyes widened in panic as they swept back to his professor. "What the fuck do I do now?"

Snape grimaced and rubbed his forehead. "Just give me one min –"

"You were meeting me," the girl suggested.

"What, for a shag?" Draco asked in disbelief. "In the woods? In the middle of winter?"

"For a snog," she clarified, rolling her eyes. "I'm not having sex in the woods no matter what season it is."

"Oh, because the Aurors and Dumbledore will believe that you and I –"

"Remus believed it, didn't he?" she pointed out. "In fact, he thought it was me right away when Harry was telling us about you."

The boy studied her hesitantly for a moment. "But what if they… try to verify it?"

Hermione shrugged. "The only one I was with was Ginny and she's so self-involved at the moment that she probably wouldn't have noticed if we had snogged right in front of her. I could have slipped out of the back door of Tomes and Scrolls for twenty minutes and she would have never known. Plus, we came back to the castle much earlier than everyone else, so perhaps you and I even negotiated a rendezvous in the castle while the majority of the school was out and about."

Draco stared at her in shock and then slowly raised his eyes to his Head of House.

"Quite the accomplished little liar, isn't she?" he quipped.

"Yeah," the blonde murmured, running through her story in his head. "So I'm not eager to share because it would ruin my reputation –"

"Mine, too!" she argued.

Severus rubbed the back of his neck. "And I happened to hear word of your straying from the path and was intervening."

"Of course," Hermione nodded. "After Remus hinted that Draco had been secretly meeting his girlfriend –"

"Ugh, fuck me," the boy muttered under his breath.

"—I was concerned that someone could have seen something, so I sought him out here in the dungeons instead of going to the infirmary like I said I was going to. While I was relaying my fears to him, you happened to overhear us."

The professor nodded as seized a handful of Floo powder. "Granger, you have detention Monday night. Malfoy, Tuesday. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," they mumbled in unison.

Once he had disappeared in a swirl of green flames, Hermione glanced at her rival and flashed a nervous smile.

Draco gave a disgusted grimace and shook his head. "Father would flay me into a coma if he thought I was boinking you."

"Well, lucky for you he'll know it's a lie even if he does hear about it," she sighed, leaning against the desk.

"Yeah," he sneered quietly. "Lucky me."

The witch grimaced as he suddenly strode toward the door. "Draco, I didn't mean –"

"Don't bother," he interrupted with a wave of his hand.

"Look," she stated, "for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

The blonde paused briefly with his hand on the doorknob. "Yeah? Well, a fat lot of good that does me."

Hermione let out a deep sigh as he stormed out of the room, and then let her gaze drift to the floor. She knew she should not be offended by his reaction – and really, he had said it with only a fraction of the venom he normally used – but she could not help but feel sick to her stomach. Drawing in a deep shuddering breath, she glanced at the fireplace while trying to find some desire to leave the room.

Finding none, she meandered around the end of the desk and sank into Snape's chair.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Spinning out of the fireplace, Severus paused momentarily at seeing the crowd gathered in the Headmaster's office. In addition to Dumbledore – who had since returned to his seat – Minerva, Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Nymphadora Tonks all stood with anxious expressions on their faces.

"Thank you for coming, Severus," the elder wizard stated, sounding slightly winded. "I apologize again for interrupting."

"No need," he shook his head while moving further into the room. "I was just about to send them on their way."

While Albus nodded, Kingsley cleared his throat. "You don't happen to know anything about this, do you?"

Snape locked his eyes onto the tall, black Auror. "If by this, you are referring to an apparent death in Hogsmeade, Shacklebolt, then I know the two sentences that were shared with me via the Floo."

The man eyed him speculatively for a moment, but gave a nod to his younger counterpart.

Tonks straightened her shoulders and stepped forward, stumbling slightly as she caught her foot on the edge of the sofa. "Shortly after, erm, the last students had returned and the school gates had closed, someone cast the Morsmordre."

Severus's eyebrows rose noticeably as he focused on the pink-haired witch.

"I happened to see it appear while on my sentry rounds," she continued, "I alerted Kingsley who dispatched Aurors to investigate. At the scene, they found Silas Jiggers dead, strung up in the trees behind his house. The rest of his family were inside the home, murdered as well."

The Slytherin closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Do you know who is responsible?"

"Not as of yet," Kingsley replied.

"We were hoping you might have some ideas," the young witch added.

Snape swallowed slowly before flicking his gaze to the Headmaster. "At this moment, I have nothing to share, but I can attempt to seek out information."

"You weren't made aware of a threat to the apothecary or his family?" Kingsley pressed.

"Had I been, Albus would have been informed immediately," he snapped, crossing his arms. "But no, I wasn't. As far as I can tell you, it was not a sanctioned act, but then again, I haven't received a summons in a month's time."

"In a month?" the Auror repeated. "Why so long? Does he suspect –"

"We have no reason to believe that Severus has been compromised," Dumbledore interrupted quietly with a shake of his head. "Riddle generally does not call for him with great frequency during the school year unless it is a matter of urgency."

Severus pinched his lips together. "I will attempt to determine at least whether this was an isolated incident or part of a larger plot. Whatever I discover will be shared with the Headmaster, I assure you."

Looking as though he had been struggling internally with something, Remus coughed lightly. "I, erm, don't know that it has anything to do with this, but Harry did mention –"

"Lupin," his former classmate snarled in warning.

"What did Potter mention?" Kingsley asked.

The werewolf grimaced briefly as he eyed the dark expression on the Slytherin's face and then cleared his throat. "Harry noticed that Draco Malfoy had slipped away from the group and later saw him coming out of the woods –"

"You think he killed them?" Tonks gasped.

"N-no," Remus shook his head. "No, I don't believe so. Harry said that he headed back to the castle early, but thought maybe he had been meeting someone."

"Severus?" McGonagall asked, stepping in front of the Defense instructor. "What is it?"

Glaring past her shoulder as he felt all eyes turn yet again to his person, he let out a deep sigh. "Mr. Malfoy was not involved with the murders."

"Then who was he meeting?" Kingsley asked.

Lupin paled slightly as the Slytherin's dark gaze locked onto his. "Oh, Merlin – it really was her, wasn't it? They were the ones you were just talking to, weren't they?"

"As quick on the uptake as ever," Snape growled.

"Oh, damn."

Four pairs of eyes flicked rapidly between the two men until the pink-haired witch could stand the confusion no longer. Accidentally knocking over a stack of books on the table, she cursed under her breath and then folded her arms to her chest. "Oi! Just what the bloody hell are the two of you on about? Care to clue the rest of us in?"

"Perhaps the wolf would oblige," the Potions Master sneered, "since he's always been so eager to put students in harm's way."

"Severus!" Minerva and Dumbledore snapped in unison.

Remus flushed in embarrassment as he ran a hand through his hair. "I have to have everyone's word that what I'm about to say will not leave this room."

"And you have it," Kingsley nodded.

"Not good enough," Snape grunted. "I want a wand oath from the two of you."

"Severus, is that really –"

"Yes, Minerva, it is really necessary," he muttered. "Wand oath not to reveal it or targeted Obliviation prior to leaving. I leave the decision solely to them."

As he expected, the two Aurors withdrew their wands and solemnly promised not to divulge whatever information that was about to be revealed to them. Once they had finished, the dark-haired man gestured impatiently to his former schoolmate.

The Marauder cleared his throat. "As unbelievable as it may sound, Draco Malfoy has been… he's currently involved with another student…"

"Involved how?" Kingsley asked.

"Romantically."

"With whom?"

Remus winced as he replied, "Hermione Granger."

"What!" Tonks cried; her jaw dropping. "Hermione? Our Hermione?"

Severus shifted uncomfortably when he noticed how the Deputy Headmistress's gaze suddenly swung toward him. She controlled her expression upon receiving his pointed glare, but gave him a look that signified she expected that a private explanation be forthcoming.

"There must be some mistake," Minerva mumbled, shaking her head as she donned a look of incredulity. "She and Malfoy have never been friendly toward one another."

"Well, neither were Lily and James, and they…"

Snape flexed his hand into a fist as Lupin trailed off and sheepishly glanced at him.

"You're sure they're involved?" Tonks asked.

The greying wizard nodded his head. "Severus and I… happened upon them last weekend, and I've since spoken with Her—Miss Granger regarding the matter. Her behavior suggests that she cares for him quite deeply."

"And the Malfoy boy?" Kingsley questioned. "Are you certain that this is not –"

"Were he seducing her as an agent of the Dark Lord," the spy interrupted grumpily, "he would not have been sniveling at my desk later that night, attempting to offer up a significant portion of his inheritance in exchange for my discretion regarding their… dalliance."

"He was quite sincere?"

The Slytherin inhaled slowly. "To be perfectly frank, I have never seen that boy more frightened out of his head then he has been recently."

"Yeah, well, no shit," Nymphadora sighed, perching against the armrest of the sofa. "Aunt Bellatrix would skin him alive if she ever found out he was sneaking around with a Muggleborn."

The senior Auror did not look entirely convinced as he muttered, "No good has ever come out of that family."

"Hey!" his colleague snapped, spinning around to look at him. "My mum came out of that family, thank you very much!"

"As did Sirius," Lupin argued before sending another apologetic glance toward Snape.

"Just because most of the family is flawed, doesn't mean they all are," the young woman lectured. "Maybe now that my little cousin is old enough to think for himself, he isn't so bad."

Kingsley took in a deep breath but nodded his head in understanding. "I did not mean any offense."

Tonks nodded and tugged on one of her bubblegum locks. "We're no closer than we were on the Jiggers case, however."

"I do apologize that I have nothing useful to share with you," Snape stated.

The witch opened her mouth to speak but was prevented from doing so by the arrival of a silver hawk soaring through the window into the room.

"Have the two of you finished yet?" the voice of Alastor Moody growled. "Or did you just think I would handle it all on my own?"

With a sigh, Kingsley sent his lynx off with a reply and the two Aurors offered their farewell.

"Minerva, Remus," Dumbledore spoke, leaning forward, "I would appreciate it if the two of you could inform the staff of the situation in Hogsmeade. I should think we will all be in agreement that no students are to leave school grounds unless retrieved by their guardians."

"Yes, of course," McGonagall nodded. Though she dutifully followed her former student toward the office door, she cast a questioning glance at her Slytherin counterpart.

Once the office had been vacated save for the Headmaster and his spy, the latter stepped toward the desk and dropped into a chair.

"I take it that you do have something useful to share with me," Albus stated.

Severus nodded wearily. "Draco was meeting with Bellatrix. She was delivering a vial of Angel's Trumpet extract with your name on it."

"I see," the elder man murmured.

"And given that the entire Jiggers family was just executed," the dark-haired wizard continued, "I think it is safe to say that I know where she managed to procure it. There were always rumors that Silas Jiggers dealt with banned substances."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers as he considered the information. "Do you believe Riddle was aware of this ahead of time?"

"Anything is possible," the Slytherin shrugged, "but I highly doubt it. I think she's attempting to put herself in a position where she shall benefit no matter the outcome. Should Draco succeed… in his task—"

"In murdering me," Albus corrected.

The younger man let out a stiff sigh. "Should Draco succeed, he would have to credit her assistance, but should he fail, she can claim she did everything she could to aid him, and that the failure was entirely his. Unfortunately for darling, blood-thirsty Bella, calling everyone's attention to the slaying of an alleged poison-maker prior to a planned poisoning is not what the Dark Lord would consider subtle assistance."

"If you go to him…"

"I can inform him of the details of what transpired, insinuate that the Aurors suspect Bellatrix due to the severity of the charm work, and allow him to draw his own conclusions regarding her motives."

"And what of the young Mr. Malfoy?"

Severus shook his head. "Draco has neglected to tell her that he has been associating with myself and Miss Granger. I shall not reveal any mention of his task or the poison."

"That only leaves the issue of the poisoning itself," Dumbledore muttered. "Where is the extract?"

"Warded inside my desk drawer," he replied. "I've managed to convince Draco that I need to examine its toxicity before anyone goes using it."

"I do have some tolerance to the substance, you realize," the elder smirked. "Most poisons, actually."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Had you not played dress-up with the Dark Lord's jewelry, I would not be as concerned. That curse, however, has likely diminished the protection you had previously acquired."

"You are likely correct, my boy," Albus mumbled sadly. After a moment of reflection, he touched his beard. "Could you modify it?"

"Weaken it, you mean?"

"Precisely," the Headmaster nodded. "A heavily diluted sample will produce believable symptoms and still be detectable by diagnosis charms."

Severus narrowed his eyes as he considered the proposition. "In that case, it would still give the appearance that you do, in fact, possess a tolerance to the poison, and could temporarily explain your weakened state. The Dark Lord would be assured that Draco is attempting to do as instructed, and having previously brought Bellatrix's idiocy to his attention, I could, with any luck, hang the failure around her scrawny, little neck."

"With any luck," Dumbledore repeated with a small smile. "How long do you envision it taking to dilute the extract?"

"Three or four days, I suppose," he murmured. "Give another day or two to ensure that the toxicity levels are not actually enough to kill a compromised individual such as yourself."

"So you'll need a week for good measure?"

The Potions Master nodded.

"And if I do remember my poisons correctly," Albus chuckled, "Angel's Trumpet does act quite slowly so as to make it nearly impossible to determine when it was administered to the system."

"Indeed."

"So it shall be a surprise to us all as to when it finally takes effect, hmm? That should add a bit of excitement in the upcoming weeks."

"Have you forgotten to take your Restorative Draught this afternoon?" Snape sneered. "I think your brain has been addled."

"Yes, well," the man shrugged. "I look forward to you poisoning me during next week's staff meeting. I'm certain you'll find it quite cathartic."

The spy snorted under his breath. "You have no idea."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

After slipping past the Hogwarts gates, Severus took in a steadying breath and then pressed the tip of his wand into his left wrist. A few seconds passed before he felt the burn flare through his arm, and upon touching his wand to the Mark a second time, he disappeared into a faint trace of black smoke and then fell out of the sky to land harshly upon his feet in the formal dining room at Malfoy Manor.

"Severus," Voldemort smiled from his position at the head of the table that hosted not only the Malfoys, but Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers as well. "How nice of you to join us for supper. It has been too long since last we saw you. Do have a seat."

"Of course, my Lord," he nodded, reaching out for the chair which the dark wizard had gestured to. As he sat at the immediate right of the Dark Lord, he could feel a particular pair of eyes attempting to burn a hole into the side of his head. Paying no attention to the witch that belonged to them, Severus dipped his head respectfully to a silent Narcissa who sat across from him and then casually placed a napkin on his lap.

"Now then, Severus," the tyrant stated once the newcomer's meal had appeared upon the table, "might I ask what has inspired a social call?"

Clearing his throat, the spy picked up his fork. "Interesting events have unfolded this evening in the village Hogsmeade."

"Is that so?" Voldemort asked with a tilt of his head. "Do explain."

"Well, it seems, my Lord, that someone decided to execute Silas Jiggers and his family."

"Did they now?"

"Indeed, my Lord," Snape nodded. "And they felt it necessary to declare that it had been done in your name."

"Oh?"

The younger man smiled internally at the deep hiss of the Dark Lord's tone for it meant that he indeed had not given the act his blessing. "Aurors were alerted to the scene when the Morsmordre was cast above the Jiggers house."

"The Morsmordre!" the serpent-like man snarled quietly, dropping his cutlery as he leaned toward his spy. "And just whom do the Aurors suspect?"

"They have no solid leads at last I heard, but the office does suspect, based solely upon the brutality of the deaths–"

"Bellatrix!" Voldemort snapped as he sat tall once again.

"Yes, my Lord?" she sang sweetly from her seat across from Lucius near the other end of the long table.

"Tell me, Bella," the tyrant snapped, folding his hands upon the table, "did you happen to pay a visit to Hogsmeade this afternoon?"

"Hogsmeade?" she repeated quietly, tilting her head and twirling a finger in her dark hair. "Well, I –"

"Do not lie to me!" the Dark Lord shouted as he slammed his fist against the table, causing Narcissa to jump.

Fear flickered briefly across the dark-haired witch's face as she swallowed slowly. "Yes, my Lord."

"You were in Hogsmeade?" he growled.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Rodolphus."

"Yes, my Lord?"

Voldemort calmly picked up his wine goblet and took a slow sip before replying. "Do be so kind as to escort your wife into the Master's study. Now."

"As you command, my Lord," Lestrange mumbled, pushing out of his seat. As he reached for the woman's arm, she yanked it out of his grasp, and refused any of his assistance as she stood from the table. Casting a murderous glare in Snape's direction, Bellatrix marched out of the room a full pace ahead of her husband with her head held high.

Once they had left, the odd silence of the room continued until the Dark Lord finally cleared his throat a few minutes later. After dabbing his lips with his napkin, he smiled once more at the man seated beside him. "So good to see you again, Severus. Do have some of the custard before you leave. It is exceptional."

With a murmured word of acceptance, the Potions Master followed the dark wizard's exit with his eyes and then glanced once more to the witch across from him. "It really is a lovely meal, Narcissa. Your elves are quite talented."

"Thank you," she mumbled, flicking her gaze past the number empty chairs that separated them from her husband and the younger Lestrange brother. After catching sight of Lucius's nearly imperceptible nod, she set her napkin upon the table. "May I offer you a drink, Severus?"

"Thank you, yes," he nodded, eyeing the wizards out of the corner of his eye. Rabastan looked oblivious to anything outside of the large helping of potatoes on his plate, while Lucius was surreptitiously casting glances of concern in his wife's direction.

Giving a tight smile, Narcissa rose from her chair and crossed to the wetbar in the corner. Grabbing the decanter of her husband's brandy, she removed the crystal stopper only to nearly drop it all when a muffled scream fractured the quiet of the dining room. Biting down on her lower lip, she steadied her nerves enough to pour two fingers of the dark amber liquid into a crystal tumbler.

While taking a bite of his steak, Severus noticed her fish something out of her pocket before picking up the glass. As she delivered it to him, she happened to drop whatever she had in her hand into his lap and whispered, "Is Draco alright?"

"For the moment," he mouthed before accepting the tumbler and giving an audible word of thanks.

The regal witch gave a cool nod of her head before returning to her own seat.

Without looking down, the spy collected the small scrap of parchment and slipped it into his own pocket. While everyone sat in silence, he choked down his dinner as quickly as he could. By the time his plate had been replaced by a smaller one filled with custard, the screams from the other room became exponentially louder.

As Narcissa jerked in her seat and stared at the tablecloth, the three men exchanged brief glances. Without a single word exchanged, they all knew full well that the Dark Lord had grown disappointed with Rodolphus's efforts in punishing his wife and had taken over the task himself.

Shoveling down one last bite of custard, Snape tossed back the remainder of his drink and then rose from his chair. "Narcissa, Lucius, Rabastan – good evening. Thank you for the meal."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Immediately upon returning to the castle, Severus headed for his quarters and then collapsed into the armchair in front of the fire. Though he felt no compassion for the witch likely still twitching under her master's wand, he held no real animosity toward her sister. Narcissa had only acted as was expected of a dutiful daughter and wife, supporting her parents and then her husband as they supported the Dark Lord. She had never showed any interest in taking the Mark, choosing instead to become a mother. He knew just how much the woman had doted upon her son, and he suspected it must be killing her to know that she was meant to be his undoing.

After wiping his face, the spy dug in his pocket for the scrap she had given him. Upon pulling it out, he quickly realized that it had been a minimized envelope. After restoring it to its original size, he immediately broke the seal and extracted a folded sheet of parchment as well as a slightly smaller envelope addressed to and clearly charmed only to be opened by Draco. Setting the second item to the side, he unfolded the letter and gradually felt his lips part in shock as he began to read.

Severus,

Lucius says that you are Draco's best chance, and I can do nothing but hope that he is right. I know my son, and though he is unable to share any of his burden with me, I can see that he holds little expectation of succeeding. Lucius has more confidence in our son, but I do not share his optimism.

I have no doubts as to the horrors HE is capable of, and since he has taken it upon himself to destroy my family in the process, I cannot sit idly by. Should HE ultimately be successful in his endeavors, I do not foresee that my family will be allowed to share in those successes. Should HE fail, our chances are hardly better – Lucius will likely be killed or imprisoned, and I as well for my complicity in his activities, but perhaps Draco could be spared. For this slim chance, I place my faith in you because I have no one else.

I fully realize that you may not be the man I think you are, and that you may betray me to HIM should it suit your needs, but I will then accept Death with the knowledge that I tried to save them. I cannot offer you much, but I will give you every assistance I can manage without further risking my child. I do not know what it is you already know, or what you need to know, but I will tell you everything I have discovered. I only hope that it can aid you in some manner.

Despite HIS many comments about my being a gracious host, I do not feel as though I am such. Though the elves are still bound to serve Lucius and I, the wards are not. They have been altered so as to only allow free passage of those that bear HIS Mark. I am no more than a prisoner in my home, unable to leave under my own power. To this end, HE commanded Lucius to bind the elves presently living here so that they are unable to remove anyone but themselves through the wards. I mention this to you because Draco has reported seeing one of his former elves somewhere within the school. Though it was freed from our service, it was unintentional on Lucius's part, and so the ties to the Manor were never actually severed. Should the elf choose to return, it will more than likely be able to pass in and out of the Manor with or without un-Marked companions. I do not ask that you send it for me, because I know that Lucius and Draco are safer while I remain imprisoned under HIS watch, but perhaps it may be of use to you at some point.

I also suspect that the Manor has recently become Unplottable. I have not received the Prophet since last I saw you, and there has been no post, not even from my son. I suppose only those who have been invited or are keyed to the wards may find it. HE has not left the Manor very often since the owls stopped arriving, so I am further convinced HE now means to use this as HIS home. HE spends countless hours locked away in the library. I believe that HE must be researching something, for the elves have noticed that HE selects books solely from the section on Wizarding traditions and mythologies. The books are not innately Dark, as I would not have allowed them in Draco's reach while growing up, and I would imagine they may be available in the Hogwarts library should you think them of interest.

"My gods," Severus muttered aloud as he eyed the short list of titles she had included. He agreed with her assessment that the titles were seemingly innocuous enough, but if the Dark Lord was that interested in reading them, there must be something within them that could prove dangerous.

Regarding HIM, I do not think that I have anything else to offer that you don't already know. However, I know that my sister has designs on eliminating both you and my family from HIS favor. Lucius currently poses no threat to her, but she is beginning to see Draco as one. She voices concern and pride for him for my benefit, but when in the privacy of their bedroom, she speaks otherwise to Dolph. Whatever it is that Draco is to do, she knows, and is determined to hinder his progress for she fears that if he is successful, he shall entirely reverse our current standing in HIS eyes. If his task is of such importance to HIM, I can only fear for my darling son's safety.

As for you, I know Lucius gave you warning at Christmas, but she does not cease in her efforts to ruin you and the muggleborn. She is plotting always, but says nothing of this aloud. I only have heard her mutterings regarding your trustworthiness, which only gives me hope that there is merit to her claims. There is something that she has said to Dolph, though, that I cannot quite explain. She repeatedly argues that HE always trusted them far more than you as evidenced by the fact that you could not even be trusted to keep HIS most trusted possession safe. Dolph suggested that perhaps HIS decision had more to do with the security of your vault than anything else.

Lucius does not know the extent of what I have said to you, and it shall remain that way for all of our sakes. He is solely under the impression that I have asked you to deliver my letter to Draco, but I wish not to waste any more time. If you are not to be trusted, I would rather face my demise on the dawn than wait months with bated breath only to stare into my son's eyes as I bleed out at his feet. If that is your prerogative, I only ask that you give my son my love before you give this letter to HIM.

I hope beyond hope that you do not betray me, for even under pain of death, I shall not betray you.

Narcissa Kerensa Malfoy

Snape let out a long breath and stared at the parchment in his hands for several minutes. It appeared that the pureblood witch was passive no longer. Her loyalty was to her son above all else, and to keep that she was willing to betray the Dark Lord, her sister, and even her husband. She was willing to put her life in his hands to do so. She was risking everything on the slim chance that he would not bring her treachery to the Dark Lord, and now he was in the difficult position of determining whether or not he could even risk not doing so.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he hissed, running a hand through his hair. He did not doubt that he could trust her information, but whether he could trust her to keep it hidden from Voldemort was another matter altogether. A small voice told him to take the letter to Dumbledore to allow him to decide, but he could already guess the man's solution – redact the more sensitive information, and then hand over the letter. As far as the Headmaster was concerned, Narcissa would be a liability and one that could never be loyal to the Order for the same reason that she was not loyal to the Death Eaters.

Had it only been his life on the line, he likely would have given her the benefit of the doubt. But it was not simply his life, nor was it simply Hermione's. It was Harry Potter and the whole damn Order relying on the secrets he could provide.

With a growl, he launched out of his chair and stomped through his bedroom. He needed to think, to weigh his options before doing anything, and in order to do that he needed to find something else to keep him busy. Yanking open the door to his staircase, he scowled the entire way down the staircase and all but threw open the office door. The sound of a small gasp startled him, and he instinctively pointed his wand at his own chair before realizing just who occupied it.

"Granger," he snapped, resheathing his wand. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was wai-ai-aing," she yawned deeply and stretched her back before rubbing her face. "I was waiting for you. I thought you would have been back a long time ago, and I guess I fell asleep. Where have you been?"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "To hell and back."

Hermione snorted quietly and leaned against the back of his chair. "I was under the impression that we were already there."

"True enough," he sighed, perching on the edge of his desk. "I amend my previous statement. I've merely been hopping between several different circles of hell."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she extended one hand toward his kneecap. "Am I allowed to know anything?"

"I suppose that would depend upon who you asked," the wizard replied. "I doubt either Dumbledore or the Dark Lord would be agreeable to it, but fortunately for your curiosity, I am not them."

"I would say that is fortunate for far more than just my curiosity," she quipped with a smile before donning a more serious expression. "Who did Bellatrix kill?"

Snape exhaled loudly as he ducked his head. "Silas Jiggers, the most recent owner of Slug and Jiggers in Diagon Alley, and his family."

"She killed his whole family?" the girl gasped, tightening her grip on his leg. "Why?"

He gestured toward the center drawer of his desk.

"He gave her the poison?"

"As far as I can guess," he nodded. "The Dark Lord was not aware of her doing so, however, and once I discussed it with the Headmaster, we determined it was best that I enlighten him."

"Are you alright?" she asked, suddenly sitting tall and sweeping her gaze over him.

"I'm perfectly fine," he grunted, folding his arms and unintentionally crumpling Narcissa's letter. With a grimace, he began smoothing out the creases. "All the Dark Lord did was insist upon my having a hot meal while he made Bellatrix aware of his displeasure with her."

Hermione sucked in an uncertain breath. "Does he know you're helping Draco?"

He shook his head. "Though, of course, Remus thought it prudent to enlighten a fair number of the Order that Potter suspected Draco of having met with someone."

The witch gave a loud groan. "And you explained otherwise?"

"I merely glared at him until he explained otherwise," he corrected.

"About Draco and me?" she asked. When he nodded, she bit down on her bottom lip and sighed. "Who all knows?"

"Albus and Minerva were present, but obviously know otherwise," the man mumbled. "But Tonks and Kingsley now believe that you and he are star-crossed lovers in the midst of war and family prejudice."

"How Shakespearean," the girl grumbled, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "How long until the rest of the –"

"They took a wand oath not to reveal it," he explained.

Exhaling loudly, she leaned against the side of the chair. "Well, that's something at least."

"Mmm," he grunted. "We do, however, find ourselves at another hurdle."

"What do you mean?" She eyed him in confusion as he handed her the parchment and then gasped upon skimming through the letter and seeing the signature at the bottom. "My gods, she's spying on him for you. But how… how does she know you're really working for the Order?"

"She doesn't know for sure," Severus replied. "If you read it fully –"

"Merlin," the girl moaned, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "She's risking everything on what she thinks is a minute possibility."

He swallowed uncomfortably as he nodded his head. "We need to decide what to do with this."

"What?" she hissed, glancing up at him. "What do you mean decide? You aren't thinking of betraying her, are you? You can't! Look at everything she's doing, everything she's risking to help you!"

"I know that!" he snarled, pushing off of the desk.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "Then how could you even consider doing anything but –"

"Because to do so means risking everything ourselves!" the man shouted at her. "If I take that bloody letter upstairs to Dumbledore, do you know what he'll tell me to do?"

"I don't want to know!" she snapped, slamming her hands down on his desk as she launched to her feet.

"He'll expect me to protect myself and my position in the Order," he continued bitterly, "to take out what might be important, and give the rest of it to the Dark Lord, because it will be far worse should it come out later! He will not risk the entire war on one –"

"He's risking it on you!" she argued. "He's risking it on Harry! He's risking it on me! On every single person he takes into the Order! Why should she be thrown to the wolves because she decided she wasn't just going to be a pawn in Vold—"

"Granger!"

"In Voldemort's sick game to destroy the people she loves most!" the witch finished with a challenging glare. "She's decided not to be a victim and is doing something besides sitting around feeling sorry for herself –"

"And if the Dark Lord already knows of this letter?" he cut in. "What then, Miss Granger? You'll have us throw both ourselves on the sword for nothing? Risk the entire War on –"

"She isn't working for him!" Hermione hissed, picking up the letter and waving it about. "She wouldn't have gone through all of this trouble – giving you his bloody reading list, for godsake – just to test you! Voldemort is hurting her son, and she is attempting to take him down in any way she can!"

Severus blew out a deep breath in an effort to keep from screaming at her. Frustrated, he ran both hands through his hair and yanked it hard. "The issue here isn't whether she is knowingly acting for the Dark Lord, but rather that he has her on a tight leash. He is living in her home, day in and day out, with her trapped there. Lucius isn't even fucking allowed to sit beside her while at the dinner table, because she is required to be at the Dark Lord's side. You honestly believe that he will not once attempt Legilimency to search for any signs of treachery? If he sees or has seen anything of what she has written and that she passed it to me, and I don't come forward with it, we're done. You and I will exist no longer."

The girl inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut. "And what if he's already seen the part you decide to remove? We're done then, too. Or if he doesn't know anything about it, and you give it to him, and there's something in there that could directly lead to his undoing? There's no point in us being alive if the Order fails."

"Believe me, I know," he muttered, turning away from her to stare at the fireplace.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the witch slowly sank into the chair. She wanted to scream at the man for being cold and uncaring, but she knew better. She knew him better than to think that he could cause a friend's – or whatever it was he considered Narcissa Malfoy – death without having laboriously weighed the possible outcomes against the consequences. And he especially would not be able to do it without feeling like a gigantic pile of shit.

It just was not fair. She had started to care about Draco, and by extension, Narcissa. She knew how much it hurt to believe that something she had done had led to her parents' deaths. She had felt that pain for months and had no desire to see Draco carry it for the rest of his life. She could not forget the look of pride that had been in his eyes when he spoke about his mother, about how she was not the same cold woman in private that she portrayed in public. Every time she thought about the comment, it reminded her of Severus. He certainly was not the same man in the classroom or in front of the Death Eaters that he was with her. He was…

"Wait," she whispered, suddenly pulling the letter close to her once more.

"Wait for what?" Snape sighed, slowly turning his head to look at her. "I haven't made any decisions yet."

"No, I know," she mumbled, rereading everything carefully, "but what if we're worried over nothing? What if she can protect it?"

The wizard frowned as he turned around to fully face her. "What could possibly make you think that?"

"She hexed her husband's bollocks," Hermione replied offhandedly.

His eyebrows raised in confusion. "What?"

Realizing what had just slipped out of her mouth, the witch blushed and moved a strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean… before Draco said he was ready to meet with you, he commented that I should have used an Engorgement Charm on Cormac's… erm, on Cormac since that was what his mother had done upon discovering that Lucius was having an affair."

Shifting uncomfortably as he considered the ramifications of using that charm on a particular part of his anatomy, Severus coughed and shook his head. "Narcissa did that?"

"Yeah, I was just as surprised," the girl smirked, "but Draco said she's just really good at playing 'the unaffected ice queen' as he called it."

"That's an apt description."

"But it makes me think that maybe… maybe she's controlling her emotions for more than just propriety's sake. And if she's fooled us all…"

The man drew in a slow breath and rubbed his forehead. "But there's no –"

"You told me weeks ago that you and I had to find out what Draco was up to because he was successfully occluding Dumbledore," Hermione pointed out.

"Yes, and I said it was likely that Bellatrix had coached –"

"Why?" she interrupted, leaning forward with an eager expression on her face. "Why does it have to be her? Why would she actually train him? If Narcissa's right, and Bellatrix really is trying to hinder Draco, why would she train him in something that could only help protect him?"

Snape stared at her blankly as he processed her questions.

"And then there's what she writes," the young witch continued as she glanced down at the parchment. "Lucius does not know the extent of what I have said to you, and it shall remain that way for all of our sakes… I assume that must mean that he isn't an Occlumens –"

He gave a small snort and shook his head.

" – and so she's hiding it even from him, even though she loves him. I cannot believe that she would be naïve enough not to know that You-Know-Who is a Legilimens, but still she promises not to betray you, even under pain of death."

The spy let out a long breath and collapsed onto the wooden chair in front of his desk. "Fuck."

"Please tell me it makes as much sense to you as it does to me," Hermione pleaded.

He leaned forward, holding his head in his hands. "It's still an awful lot to risk if you're wrong."

"Yes, but if I'm not…" she sighed and set down the letter on the desk. "There is someone you can ask, you know. If Draco knows how much his mother is putting on the line for him, he'll probably tell you."

"I will consider speaking with him tomorrow," the wizard muttered.

The witch nodded slowly as her gaze slowly drifted toward the desk drawer. "Severus, what about the –"

"I will be poisoning the Headmaster next weekend."

"What?" she cried, snapping her wide eyes to him.

A small smirk toyed at his lips despite the tension in the room. Clearing his throat, he sat tall in the chair. "I will modify the extract this week until it isn't deadly any longer, and then slip it in his tea. Shall be the highlight of my week, I'm sure."

"Oh, gods," Hermione gasped, covering her nose and mouth with both hands. "What if you're caught?"

"There is no reason to be concerned. I assure you it was the old codger's idea."

"Merlin." After a long moment, she narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "This is absolutely ridiculous! We're not supposed to trust someone who is risking her life to help you, but he can certainly gamble with his own sodding life just so he can use her son like he uses everyone else. Makes perfect bloody sense to me!"

His eyes trailed her as she pushed out of his chair and stormed toward the door. "Granger."

"What?" the girl snapped, turning around with a glare.

Without looking at her, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have asked you on several occasions not to use the Dark Lord's name. Please do not –"

"Fine," she interrupted, ripping open the door.

As he heard the door slam, Severus leaned forward again and buried his face in his hands. He was about to release a string of curse words when the sound of a loud sigh drew his attention to the office door. Seeing that the witch was still standing there, rigidly staring at the back of the door, he cleared his throat. "Hermione?"

Her shoulders slumped slightly as she turned around, and he could see frustration in every feature of her face. "Why? You lie to his face, betray him every day, but are afraid to say his name? Explain to me how that works."

The dark-haired man let out a deep breath and stood from his chair. "There is a reason the Dark Lord's followers spread rumors not to use his name."

"Because he feeds off of fear," she growled, crossing her arms.

"Yes… and no." He rolled his shoulders and rested his hand on the back of the wooden chair. "You are aware of the supernatural theory regarding demons?"

Hermione frowned in concentration. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Saying a demon's name," he clarified.

"You mean that by saying it aloud, you will actually summon it to you?"

Severus nodded. "The Dark Lord was quite taken with that idea. He wanted to be feared as one would fear a demon, so we spread the warnings. If everyone was afraid of him, he had power over them. Those that freely speak his name were considered dangerous because they were not afraid and could have raised resistance to his reign."

"Which is exactly why we should be using –"

"Please let me finish," he stated, holding up one hand. "Rumors are only powerful as long as they cannot be disproven, which is why the Dark Lord desired to… back up his claims, so to speak. I told you before that I was recruited because of my abilities, but that was not solely in the realm of potions. The Dark Lord was also quite interested in my knowledge of the Dark Arts and my talent for creating spells."

The girl swallowed hesitantly as she stepped farther into the room, but she said nothing while he momentarily paused.

"I do not, by any means, take pride in my involvement with the Death Eaters prior to seeking out Dumbledore, but suffice it to say that a number of their nastier hexes and curses would not be in existence were I not so eager to prove myself. I've dedicated a number of years to developing the counterspells to all of them, but the damage was done."

He took in an uncomfortable breath and dropped his gaze to the floor. "But the Dark Lord was impressed with my… accomplishments, so he assigned me the task of developing something that would give credence to the rumors regarding the use of his name. He wanted to be able to immediately locate and travel to those that spoke his name, for those individuals were the ones who posed a challenge to his authority."

"Oh my god," Hermione whispered.

"I was never successful, of course," the man qualified. "I had only worked on it a week or so before he lost my loyalty. From then on, I purposely failed in all of my attempts and permanently destroyed any notes that could have been beneficial to the task. When I began teaching, he stopped expecting me to make any further progress, and within a few months, he was gone. Since his return, I've proved my usefulness to him in other means, but I do not, for one moment, suspect that he has abandoned the notion entirely. The Dark Lord was quite avid in recruiting capable witches and wizards, so it is entirely possible that one of them may prove successful in the endeavor."

"But if it's dangerous, why does Dumbledore keep –"

"Because if everyone uses the name, it can no longer be considered taboo, and the Dark Lord will have to let it be," he stated. "But for now, I believe it is a fool's errand to encourage it because I would be willing to stake my entire salary on a single charm being developed before the entire Wizarding World is convinced to change their ways after two decades. I have tried to convince the Order of this, but they aren't terribly keen on taking a Death Eater's word for it."

"You're not a Death Eater," she stated, stepping in front of him.

Snape snorted sadly and shook his head. "I bear his Mark, thus my suggestions are often suspect. Understandably so."

"Not to me," the girl murmured, touching his hand. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know you often make difficult choices."

He eyed her cautiously before cupping her cheek with his hand. "It is your life attached to mine, so I did need your input."

"Yeah, but did you need it screamed at you?" she smirked, slipping her arms about his waist. Resting her head against his shoulder, she waited a long moment before looking up at him. "I want to give her a chance."

"So I surmised," he sighed. "You do realize that this will be something we must keep from both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, yes?"

"What else is new?" Hermione shrugged, returning her cheek to his robes.

Placing a hand on the back of her head, the professor exhaled deeply. "I will discuss the matter with Draco tomorrow morning. If his mother is directly colluding with us, he can hardly turn us in. I'm certain the front page of the Prophet will further dissuade him from buying into his aunt's assurances."

She shivered slightly, causing him to hold her more tightly. "I promise I won't use his name again."

"Thank you. If you could, try to convince Potter of the same."

"Can I tell him why?" she asked, drawing away from him.

"With editing, of course," he nodded.

The witch gave him an understanding smile and then crossed around the end of his desk. "May I use a piece of parchment?"

"Second drawer down," Severus stated, glancing back at her. When he noticed her reaching for his quill, he raised his eyebrow. "What is it you're doing?"

Hermione flashed him a grin as she looked up from her task. "I have work to do in the library tomorrow anyway, so I thought I could fit in some extra reading. And it just so happens that someone's already gone through the trouble of providing me an actual list."