Hey guys! Hope everyone has had a lovely new year, and that 2021 hasn't been a complete disaster yet.. :)This chapter has.. lots of stuff lol. I realised too late that certain events still hadn't happened and so I had to rejig the timeline slightly. Despite its wild pace, I actually really enjoyed writing this one, and let me tell you the next couple chapters are going GREAT! I can't wait to share them with you. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the latest instalment of Whole :)


The end of term had crept up on Severus Snape like a cat would a mouse, and before he knew it he was back in his downtrodden childhood home with nothing but a treacherous rat for company. While the brief respite from the blithering idiots he was forced to teach day in day out was welcome, he would rather be anywhere but stuck inside the dingy house over the holiday season. It was customary for him to reside in Hogwarts during Christmas as the workload for St. Mungos always increased and his personal potions lab was the only place he could accommodate the extra cauldrons. However, the Dark Lord had requested he split his time this year, citing the need to have his spy 'within reach' should the need arise. Christmas was always an especially unpleasant time to be a Death Eater, he thought. Well, a Death Eater with a conscience anyway. Revels were a regular affair and although he was never forced to join in, he was still required to attend. He was also required to appreciate them, no mean feat when you considered just what went on there. Snape suspected he was being asked to remain at home purely to be watched, for once again he had a houseguest. He had made it very clear just how unwelcome Wormtail had been in his residence, but was forced to put up with the rodent lest he come under fire from his Master. It had meant a week of doing very little, other than scouring his vast book collection and trying to find something he either hadn't read or cared to read again.

It wasn't until the day before he was due back at Hogwarts that he welcomed a pair of unexpected visitors into his home. Or rather, Wormtail welcomed them in with no consideration as to whether Snape actually wanted to see anyone. He certainly hadn't been happy when the demented visage of Bellatrix Lestrange peered through the entry to his living room and fixed her eyes on him. Sighing, he closed the book he was attempting to read and placed it on the table next to him before folding his arms and observing the witch.

"Bellatrix. To what do I owe the.. Pleasure?" He couldn't help but sneer at that last word.

"Please Snape, you wouldn't know pleasure if it crept up and -"

She was interrupted by the arrival of Narcissa Malfoy, her face gaunt and her posture stiff. Narcissa had found the last six months especially difficult, and even with her husband's recent escape from Azkhaban she was still required to walk on eggshells in her own home. He felt a pang of pity when he recalled how vibrant the youngest Black sister had been in her prime, a vast difference to the shell of a woman she was now.

"Severus." She regarded him with perfect neutrality.

"Narcissa." He looked between the two women. "Pray, what brings you into my neck of the woods?"

Bellatrix opened her mouth, no doubt to spill some other woeful jab, but was silenced by a brief raise of the hand from her sister.

"I come looking for help, Severus." Snape sighed.

"Regarding?"

"My son. Surely you know of the task given to him by the Dark Lord. Draco is just a boy, Severus-"

"Draco is nearly a man grown, Narcissa. You know that, so too does the Dark Lord. His task is just that, his alone."

"And if he fails, he'll be killed! My only son, Severus." Narcissa's perfectly sculpted exterior had begun to crack. It was slight, but her hands had started to tremble and her eyes had a sheen of panic within them. "Surely you can see this as nothing more than a suicide mission." She whispered.

It was true. After the first mention of Draco's task, Severus had taken it upon himself to figure out just what the boy had been asked to do. There could be no doubt that the Dark Lord had no intention of Draco carrying out the request. Murdering Albus Dumbledore - the most powerful wizard alive - was not something just anyone could do. The Dark Lord expected Draco to fail, and when he did he would be killed for his insolence. The Malfoy name would be mud, and the house without an heir. What was worse, the attempt Draco had made already was pitiful at best. A cursed necklace? Really? The Bell girl had been lucky to keep her life, not to mention the countless others that could have touched the object without realising it. No, if Draco continued as he was, he'd be caught before he knew it.

"It is not my place Narcissa-"

"Please! Severus.. I come here begging. I cannot protect him, you can." Severus rested his head upon his interlocked fingers, considering his options.

"I will help him as best I can." From her place by the window, Bellatrix let out a high-pitched scoff.

"The best you can? I'm sure those words will provide Cissy with comfort as she buries her son!" It was hard to believe the two witches were from the same stock, looking at them now. Narcissa, with the grace and elegance of a great swan; while Bellatrix resembled a rabid animal, her eyes manic and hair wild. Hearing her words, Narcissa shut her eyes and winced slightly.

"I need your word. I need to know you will do everything you can."

"And you have it Narcissa. Surely you know that-"

"If you were to make the vow, perhaps.." Severus stilled. Had they been alone, he would have implored her to find another way, to come up with a plan. However, as Bellatrix's eyes danced between the pair, he weighed up his options and struggled to see a way out.

"Am I so disloyal that an Unbreakable Vow is the only way in which you'll trust me?" He knew it was futile, but it was worth the shot. It wasn't Narcissa who spoke then but Bella.

"See?! The coward refuses to do what must be done, just like I told you Cissy!"

Releasing a heavy sigh, he stood and crossed the room in only a few strides and thrust the sleeve of his robes up, revealing his pale flesh. He could only take so much of the maniacal witch's voice, after all. "I am many things, but a coward is not one of them. Do it." Bellatrix sauntered over to the couple as Narcissa carefully held out her arm and both gripped the wrist of the other. Pointing her wand at the link, Bella nodded to her sister who began to form the Vow.

"Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?"

"I will."

"And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?"

"I will." He could feel the magic intertwining with his own, like a manacle.

"And, should it prove necessary.. If it seems Draco will fail.. Will you carry out the deed the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"

Severus' breath caught in his throat, the implications of the Vow settling on him. He vaguely considered that he was about to sign his own death penalty

He barely breathed out his answer. "..I will."


Hermione's Christmas break had been by all accounts a dull affair. After spending the last few months sneaking out of the castle, meeting with Dumbledore, and cramming in extra lessons with Professor Snape alongside all the additional studying she needed to, suddenly being left with no obligations for two weeks felt slightly uncomfortable. She was still practicing her Occlumency shields, clearing her head at the end of each night and consciously working to create a barrier that was more simplistic by design. She'd done all of her prep work for when term started back up, making sure her textbooks were annotated correctly and her notes were adequate. She'd sent a few owls back and forth to the boys, sad to be spending the festive period away from her best friends. It felt like she'd barely seen them at all this year and there was so much she wanted to ask Harry about, but she would just need to corner him in the common room when they all got back. Her parents were delighted to have their daughter home for Christmas, of course. Jean and Kenneth Granger tried as best they could to understand and support this new world their daughter lived in, but sometimes it was nice to just be 'normal' again. Hermione knew they didn't mean anything cruel by it, but as she got older and her magic became stronger, it was hard not to grow a little tired of 'normal'.

She spent a lot of her time replaying the events that had transpired between herself and the Order's spy. After making something of a scene in front of Professor Snape, she'd felt ridiculous. It was obvious that the potions master was expected to spew vicious rhetoric about any of the Golden Trio, in case You-Know-Who thought to question his allegiances. He'd been extra harsh towards her, but perhaps that was because he recognised how much more valuable she could be if captured. Hadn't she made that point herself, at the beginning of the year? It was only logical for him to downplay her usefulness as much as he could while she was still protected at Hogwarts. Yet she'd stormed out while he was injured and probably made a fool of herself in the process. What with the increased amount of homework and revision for pre-Christmas tests, she'd had to postpone further lessons with him until after the break, and so had never properly been able to apologise for her outburst.

It was something that played on her mind far longer than it had any right to. If this were a spat with Harry or Ron, it would simply be brushed off as if nothing had happened. Perhaps there would be murmured apologies and an awkward hug-it-out moment, but nothing more dramatic than that. She'd had to deal with far worse outbursts than her mini tantrum and yet, something about the way she'd left the Professor bothered her. He was her teacher, he was strict and stubborn and rude and probably had zero tolerance for know-it-all Gryffindors like her. He had most likely welcomed the brief respite she'd allowed him before Christmas, no doubt sick to death of playing therapist and babysitter week in week out. She told herself this multiple times, all while writing out a small letter, chewing through multiple quills, finally rolling it up and attaching it to Orestes and sending him on his way. As soon as she watched the bird soar out of sight, she began to blush furiously. What a ridiculous idea!

Professor Snape,

I honestly didn't intend to make it a habit of writing to you during the holidays, but with how busy the end of term got, I was unable to speak to you in person before I had to leave.

I hope you're having a pleasant holiday season?

Sorry. Anyway. I wanted to apologise for my behaviour before the Christmas break. It is an unfortunate trait of mine to take criticism to heart and instead of keeping a handle on my emotions like you taught me, I allowed them to get the better of me. Upon reflection I understand the reasoning for saying what you did, and I appreciate you doing so.

I am hopeful that our lessons can continue when term resumes, although I am unsure of how much further we can push my skills in that area. Perhaps additional Defence lessons would be more appropriate? I'd be glad to hear your thoughts (outside of your head)

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year when it comes,

Hermione Granger


With how his vacation had been split up, Severus had returned to the castle to find a small scroll on his side table, unopened. It wasn't unusual for him to receive owl post throughout the holidays, usually nothing more than supplier requests and obligatory thanks from clients like St. Mungos for the work he had completed throughout the year. Sighing, he shrugged off his travelling cloak and sat down in the high-backed chair before flicking his wand to light a fire in the hearth. Stretching out his legs, he looked down at the scroll and frowned. It had been tied with a single length of red ribbon. The knot securing it wasn't rushed, in fact it was delicate. He'd seen it before, in the middle of the night during his summer holiday..

Unfurling the parchment, he read through the letter with something akin to desperation, noting afterwards that he should most definitely get a hold of himself. He would recognize the telltale ribbon of Miss Granger's anywhere, and while he was not as surprised as he should have been to receive some form of correspondence from the witch, he was slightly dismayed at the formality. He was also just a little impressed. He noted that she never outwardly mentioned the circumstances that had led to her little outburst, and kept the details as vague as possible. If it had been intercepted, it could be passed off as him belittling her in class as usual. Smart girl. Reading through her letter brought a faint smile to his lips, as he realised that this was the first personal letter he had received in years. Her request for their lessons to continue was a welcome one, although he raised his eyebrows at her wanting extra defense practice. It seemed that she wanted to put her trauma at the Ministry firmly behind her.

He stood from the chair and made his way across the room to the writing desk in the corner. Furrowing his brow, he looked at the disorganized mess he had left it in prior to his departure from the castle, and with a flick of his wand sent the piles of papers and books flying through the room to their respective places. As he pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment, he suddenly stopped. This was beginning to feel a little too 'pen-pal' for him, to borrow the muggle term, even if the reason was strictly professional. However, it would surely be rude of him to ignore the girl's request, after all he had become somewhat dependable throughout the year. A simple reply confirming her lessons wouldn't be too much, he was sure of it.

Miss Granger,

Your apology is acknowledged and accepted, although unwarranted. Your emotions are what make you human, there is no shame in showing them from time to time.

As for the continuation of your lessons - I agree that your current skill set is satisfactory, however I would be keen to revisit the subject at the start of term to ensure your work has not slipped. If you are prepared to put in the hard graft necessary to truly exceed in Defence, then I shall not attempt to dissuade you. As long as your Prefect duties do not clash, I will expect you at the usual time and place each week.

Happy holidays.

S. Snape


Sitting down to dinner in the Great Hall, Hermione felt a wave of calm flood over her. She was home. The long tables were filled to bursting with a myriad of dishes both sweet and savory. Roast chicken, roast beef, ham hocks, stuffings and gravies, bowls teeming with gorgeous vegetables. All around her she could hear the excited hum of returning students, each eager to catch up with their friends and hear all about each others' festive breaks. Her friends were no different. She'd had barely any time to catch up with Harry and Ron on the train, her Prefect duties getting in the way. Sitting at the table now, she was content to sit back and listen to both the boys regale her with stories from the Burrow.

"You should see the stuff Fred and George are coming up with, Mione. They brought a bunch of prototypes over for Christmas, and it's all wicked. Absolutely mental, those pair." Ron continued to shovel roast potatoes into his mouth as he spoke, causing Hermione to close her eyes and very quickly count to 10 - she didn't want to get into an argument on their first day back.

"It sounds like you both had a brilliant time." She replied, struggling to keep the melancholy out of her voice. Holidays at the Burrow were always guaranteed to be a good time.

"It was brilliant Hermione, you would have loved it. But I bet it was great getting to spend Christmas with your parents again!"

"Mm, it was really nice." She replied, looking from her plate out over the rest of the Hall. Every table was filled with cheery faces, with the exception of Slytherin who always looked a bit sour. Glancing up at the staff table, it was a welcome sight to see the teachers at ease with each other and chatting away. As she made her way along the line, she couldn't help but stop at Professor Snape's seat for just a moment, as if to reaffirm that he was definitely back. She hadn't realised she was staring, but when the Professor looked up from his meal and met her gaze, she felt warmth flood her cheeks and smiled in apology. The older wizard merely gave her a subtle nod, and went back to his meal.

Finishing up her meal, Hermione said her brief goodbyes to her friends and made her way back to the common room. She hadn't looked at her timetable yet and needed to make sure she was able to plan out her rounds and extra lessons without any clashes. She also needed to pencil in a slot for Order trips, and then get back to Professors Dumbledore and Snape as soon as possible to confirm everything. Plus, she hadn't even started on timetabling in her study periods! She was also hoping if she stayed up for long enough she'd be able to catch Harry on his own. She wanted to find out exactly what these sessions with Dumbledore were all about in case she needed to prepare in any way. She wasn't really sure what she'd even prepare for, but the fact that Harry and the Headmaster were leaving the castle and no one knew where they went was suspicious. If she was to protect Harry to the best of her abilities - as was requested by Dumbledore himself - she needed to know all the facts.

Hermione got her chance a little before 10pm. Having finished her timetabling with no major issues, she'd settled down with one of the few non-academic books she had with her to pass the time. Slowly but surely she'd watched the common room empty until only she remained. Harry and Ron had both gone up to the boys dormitories at around 9, but as the clock was nearing the hour she was brought out of her bubble by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Glancing up, she saw Harry pulling a jumper over his head as he made his way down towards the exit, and she could spy a roll of parchment in one of his pockets.

"Harry!" Hermione called after him. Stopping, Harry glanced back at her and smiled in embarrassment.

"Hey Hermione. Sorry, I've actually got to nip out for a bit-"

"It's after curfew Harry, you shouldn't be running around the corridors. What if one of the Professors catches you?"

Rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck, Harry looked down at the ground. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I won't be out for long anyway, and I've got the cloak with me in case there's others about." He patted his back pocket with a smile. Hermione sighed, she was hoping he'd just tell her.

"Harry.. I know where you're going. There's no point trying to lie about it." Harry's shoulders slumped slightly, his eyes still downcast.

"How did you find out?"

Damnit. "It's the most logical possibility. You've been sneaking out of the common room constantly since the start of the year. The most likely scenario is that you're meeting someone, and with the way you look at Ginny it's probably not another student." Harry blushed at the remark. "That means it's more than likely a teacher. I'm sorry Harry but I don't know of any teacher who would willingly provide extra tuition after curfew." She smiled fondly at him. "So Dumbledore seemed like the best bet."

"You're brilliant, Hermione, you know that?"

"I've been told. So, how about you let me escort you down to his office. It beats you having to sneak around after all, and on the way you can tell me about these little meetings."

"Hermione-"

She frowned at him. "Harry James Potter. We have never kept secrets from each other, so don't start now. If this is something to do with You-Know-Who, I want to know. I can help. Plus, I promise I won't say anything."

Harry shuffled his feet, clearly weighing up his options. "You'll keep it to yourself?"

"Of course." This time it was Harry's turn to sigh.

"Come on then."

Setting down her book, she hurried after the boy and out of the dimly lit common room. As they walked down the darkened corridors, Harry with his unfurled Marauder's Map in hand, she struck up the conversation once more, making sure to keep her voice down.

"So what do you do?"

Harry kept his eyes trained firmly between the map and the corridor. "Mostly discussion. We're trying to find a way to beat You-Know-Who so we go through theories and ideas a lot. We also look at memories from ages ago. I've been through a bunch from Dumbledore and one from Slughorn-"

"You just sit in his office for hours at a time theorizing?"

"Well, no. Sometimes we.. well.. We leave the castle. But don't say anything! If word gets back to You-Know-Who, it could be a disaster."

Hermione stifled a laugh at this. "Oh well I'll make sure not to mention it at our next catch-up then." She rolled her eyes at him. "Where do you go?"

"A whole bunch of places, mostly from his childhood. Where he lived growing up, places he'd visited, stuff that would mean something to him, you know?"

They continued on in silence for a while, Hermione trying to decipher why they'd be visiting Voldemort's old haunts together, and what memories they might be viewing. As they neared the steps leading to the Headmaster's office, she spoke up again.

"But, why? What's so important about these places that Professor Dumbledore needs to bring you there? And what do these memories even have to do with it?"

Harry turned to face her, his face a mixture of sadness and concern. "Listen, it's difficult to explain but we're looking for something. When You-Know-Who was younger he was fascinated by this thing called a horcrux. Dumbledore's convinced he made one, and so we're trying to find it. That's not all. Professor Slughorn's hiding something, a conversation he had with You-Know-Who back when he was still in school. I don't know how but I need to get it from him, Dumbledore says it's the key." He turned to the gargoyle they'd stopped in front of, whispered the password, and watched as the stairs unravelled before them. "I'm sorry Hermione, I need to go. Remember, not a word."

Before Hermione could protest, Harry was already running up the stairs and out of sight. Huffing, she turned on her heel and headed back to the safety of Gryffindor Tower.

Walking through the almost pitch black corridors of Hogwarts made Hermione wish she had her own Marauder's Map. Instead, she cast a quick disillusionment charm on herself and hurried as fast as her legs would take her without making too much noise. She ran over the conversation with Harry again, what had he called it? A horcrux? She would need to do a bunch of research as soon as she could. Rounding a corner, she was so focused on where she was going that she missed the dark figure step out from one of the alcoves.

"Show yourself." The low voice, dripping with contempt, stopped Hermione in her tracks, her body as stiff as a board. Groaning internally, she hung her head and dropped the charm. Of all the teachers to be out on patrol tonight..

"Miss Granger." She could hear a hint of surprise in the older wizard's voice. "A little too old to be sneaking around in the dead of night, aren't we?"

She slowly turned to face the potions master, apprehension clearly visible on her face. "Apologies Professor. I was out.. Escorting a student, I'm just headed back to the dormitory now."

Severus Snape raised a signature eyebrow. "Escorting a student?" Hermione dropped her voice.

"Harry, sir."

Her Professor looked away from her for just a moment, before turning on his heel and striding back through the darkened corridor. "Follow me." He called, his quiet voice carrying across the space with ease.

The two made their way silently through the corridors, neither uttering a word, until they came upon the Defence classroom where Snape opened the door and wordlessly ushered her in. He lit only enough sconces to illuminate his desk, which he leaned against, folding his arms.

"What do you know?"

Hermione looked at the ground. She knew as part of the Order it was her sole purpose to pass on information, she'd even asked for that responsibility personally. But what she was being asked to do was share information she'd been given in confidence, by the person she was working to protect. This was information that Dumbledore had purposefully hidden from her Professor, and there had to be a reason for that surely. She swallowed heavily and looked back at the man.

"Sir… Harry told me this in confidence. He put his trust in me to keep it to myself. I wouldn't feel right-"

She watched as Snape slumped his shoulders and sighed.

"Miss Granger.. Your commitment to Mr Potter is admirable, as usual. However," She watched as his eyes softened for just a moment. If she hadn't already been looking, she would have missed it. "You know my position in this war, you know what I must do. If this pertains to the Dark Lord, I need to be made aware. Being kept in the dark could have devastating consequences for me, and for the war effort as a whole."

She frowned at that. Trust Snape to use her caring nature in an attempt to drag Harry's secrets out. "Surely you knowing would be worse, sir? If you don't have the answer, it can't be extracted from you." Snape let out a low chuckle, but it wasn't born of happiness.

"Tell me, Miss Granger. During the meeting you witnessed, did I provide the Dark Lord with any real information?" She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Do you think I fared particularly well during that meet?" Another shake of the head. Snape sighed again. "Absence of information does not equal absence of punishment. I am a spy, Miss Granger. If I cannot provide information I am useless." Hermione moved to protest, but was silenced by a hand held up. "Should you ever find yourself in front of the Dark Lord you will quickly realise that it is much easier to lead someone on a wild goose chase if you know which way is false."

Hermione began to chew at her lip, weighing up her options. On the one hand, she could keep Harry's secrets, and protect the trust that he had in her beyond all doubt. On the other hand, she could confide vital information to one of the most important people in this war, knowing that he would keep it safer than perhaps anyone in the country. Would it be so bad? Besides, Harry would likely never find out anyway.

"Fine." She said with a sigh. "I know what they're doing when they leave the castle, although I'm not sure I understand it."


I'll endeavor to get the next chapter up soon, I'm having a lot of fun writing it but I'm now back at uni which always puts a spanner in the works. Unbreakable Vow dialogue taken from Half-Blood Prince.