Hey everyone, so there is a storm here in Ireland, if any of my readers are close to home I hope you are keeping well and safe.
So welcome to the next chapter, I hope you are enjoying it. Please continue to review and let me know your thoughts. As always Rated M for violence, language and lemons.
Chapter Ten
Summer was passing at a fairly quick pace after Harrys Birthday. We had recieved our OWL results and had chosen subjects for NEWT level exams. I had noticed attached to my Hogwarts letter was a notice from Severus Snape.
It was a date for me to take my NEWT Potions and that was a week from now. It seems I really am going to be working with him. Narcissa smirked at me when I had an unintentional smile erupt over my face.
It was a constant source of amusement to the two Malfoys how my crush had manifested over the years. He had been to the house three times to check on my scar and upon the third visit had given me a Gryffindor red notebook bound in leather.
It was monogrammed with my initials on it and I had found he charmed it for communication. It was strange, if I didn't know any better I would say he was uncomfortable.
FLASHBACK
One week after the party Severus Snape showed up at my doorstep once again. He was less severe than what I was used to seeing him and instead of having his teaching robes buttoned up to his neck I could see his top button opened and a pair of muggle black slacks. He looked good and was the subject of many dreams following that particular encounter.
"Miss Granger." He just swept into the house and asked to see my wound. It was becoming my favourite parts of Summer. I was like a crack addict, everytime he touched me I felt a trail of fire all over my back. Once he handed me thenotebook I must have looked shocked because he rolled his eyes at me in irritation.
"It will make things easier for us to communicate over the Summer and when you go back to Hogwarts also." I thanked him and gently pressed my hand to his arm which caused his entire body to freeze.
"Thank You Professor." Narcissa always chose the worst moments to walk in. Upon seeing her he shook me off and looked entirely too cocky between us, almost as if he knew something we didnt.
END OF FLASHBACK
I had been pouring over and over my newest research for the Horcruxes and I have been wrecking my brain to come uo with some idea on how to get close to that bloody snake and how to get rid of Harry's horcrux.
Realistically the Sword of Gryffindor would be ideal but it's not as if I can just waltz into the Headmasters office and steal it. Even he would have a problem with that and no explanation.
Hundreds of pieces of parchment were strewn all over the floor of my bedroom and no matter what I tried to come up with it never materialised into anything other than a shit storm. A soft knock on my door broke me out of my irritation and Narcissa opened the I could see her amusement morph into concern.
"Hermione, what on earth are you doing?" She came over and set a cup of tea down in front of me before taking in my notes as intensely as I do. The one thing that has shocked me more than anything else is her intelligence. We had the most incredible conversations together and she was probably the only other person who understood my thought process.
"You're trying to figure a base compound for a potion using basilisk venom?" I nodded my head and threw the quill down in front of me in frustration.
"When we went after Nagini in the battle our fangs kept getting knocked out of our hands, by spellfire or the bloody thing itself. If I can figure out a way to create a potion without diluting the potency of the venom so it can still kill the Horcrux it might make it easier. " She nodded her head at me and lifted a sketch pad I had perched on my bed and a piece of parchment before sitting down cross-legged on my bed and started drawing equations.
Her arithmetical mind was something I was so jealous of, upon adding in the components of the potion I was trying to create aswell as otherfactors she handed me the parchment which was filled to the brim with her work. Unfortunately it came to the conclusion that I had been avoiding up until now.
"No, Narcissa. I'm sorry but it isn't happening." She leant back against my bedroom wall and kicked off her shoes in a way that was so uncharacteristic of her I would have laughed in any other circumstances.
"Hermione, now is not the time to be stubborn, he realistically is the only one that can help." I crumpled up the piece of parchment and threw it into the wastebasket which was now overflowing so it fell to the side.
" I don't need him, I have you. "She shook her head at me and with a wave of her hand the two cups of tea floated toward us and landed in her outstretched hand before mine sat down on my desk in front of me.
"If you need arithmetical equations ro runic translations done then I am more than happy to help. A potion of this magnatude Hermione, you need a Potions Master, there is no one better than him. Stop allowing your feelings cloud your judgement, you said it yourself, you can trust him." I knew logically she was telling the truth but I couldn't bring myself to think about the can of worms it would open to bring him in on this.
" I can't just walk up to him Narcissa and ask him to help me brew a potion with Basilisk Venom. He will demand I tell him everything and now that Andromeda knows about you this entire thing is getting out of hand." She sipped on her tea and allowed me to rant, I couldn't involve anyone else. Especially not Severus Snape, asking him for help was nothappening, he would have to be around to help me with the potion and realistically I am going to struggle to spent time around the man when school starts up again.
Having him in my home, the informal line of Student and teacher blurred would be too much for me. I would end up strapping the man to my bed and shagging him to within an inch of his life. It was one thing to acknowledge my crush in my own head butthere was only so much self control I had.
"What if I contacted him? Just with some questions about it. As Genevieve and someone closer to his own age he might indulge me." Severus Snape is not an idiot, he will sniff her out in seconds if he doesn't suspect already.
"You have known him longer than I have, how much of him is going to he willing to overlook A, our access to Basilisk venom. B, why we need a potion of this magnitute and C, why the hell my parents are not here at all this, summer." She shook her head at me and drained her tea before standing up.
" Hermione, it's ok to ask for help. You are overthinking things too much. If Severus does suspect who I truly am then we shall tell him. Not everything of course but enough to satisfy him but not enough to threaten future knowledge. At the end of the day regardless of anything else you are going to need him." I knew she was right but the fact that we had found so many horcruxes in quick succession and were now faltering with the snake and Harry pissed me off.
"Having access to the sword of Gryffindor was ideal but it still meant I had to get close enough to the snake to use it. If we could create the potion we could kill all of his pieces at the one time and not worry about the reaction of each one." It had been a cunnundrum for me for a while, I couldn't ram a Basilisk fang into Harry and getting close to the snake was problematic.
"Write to him Hermione, tell him you need to see him and things will fall into place." I nodded at her and slowly pulled out my notebook from under the pile infront of me as she left the room. She was right of course, I didn't like it but alas that was the way it is at this present moment.
Professor Snape,
I am sorry for disturbing you on your Summer Holidays. I was wondering if I could pick your brains about something over a cup of tea. If you would like to wait till my next check up it will do also. I was hoping to conduct a personal research project in Potions and would love some advice.
Thanks
Hermione
Short and sweet and to the point, it was going to have to do. It filled me with anticipation as I waited on it warming up with a return. How would he react to everything? Would he indulge me or tell me to go to hell?
-/-/-/-/-/-
It took two days to get a response from him but one sentence underneath my question was enough to instill some form of hope to me.
'6pm. Saturday.' That was it, that was all he said, there was no destination so I assumed he was coming here. Perhaps his curiosity was getting the better of him, now I just had to work on how much to tell him.
He would work it all out for himself if I provided too much information. However I can't imagine he would give me too much information unless he knew a specific amount.
"Hey, whats up?" Draco came into the room and plopped down on the couch beside me before plicking the notebook from my fingers.
"Well, something to look forward to I guess. Why aren't you dressed we need to be in Diagon Alley in ten minutes or else Molly Weasley will throw a fit." We were getting our school supplies for the following year today and had agreed to meet with the Weasleys for the opening of Fred and George's shop.
Draco and Narcissa in their disguise of course, no one would be any the wiser. She had blended in quite well and had even had a small lunch date with her sister since we were rumbled. Needless to say the two, women had a lot of talk about and had a good catch up a few times since.
"I just need to throw shoes on me Draco, I don't need a formal dress for a store opening." He rolled his eyes and straightened his shirt and robes before Narcissa came downstairs in another set of robes which I just giggled at.
"Lets go Children, we cannot afford to dawdle." I threw my shoes on and my beaded bag over my shoulder before we apparated to the Alley. Half of the stores had been closed down except for the essentials for students. I had given an anonymous tip off to Garrick Ollivander who had fled from his store to some other country.
At least this time he would not be tortured for information, the Elder Wand can remain in Dumbledores hands for all I care as long as he can stay alive that is. Once we were all greeted by the Weasleys, Neville and Luna we made our way through our lists and then ended the day in the Labyrinth that was Weasleys Wizarding Weases.
It was such a huge success and everyone was at it,supporting them both was a no brainer but I had to admit once Draco and I made our way out of the shop with Harry, Ginny and Ron it was a bit of a relief.
Narcissa had offered to queue for our purchases and allow us a reprieve. If I was paying attention to my surroundings a bit more I would have noticed it but an arm snatched out of an alley and grabbed me from behind. Upon hearing my gasp all of the friends turned and Draco was the quickest with his wand and he held it in front of me.
"Hello mudblood, we have some unfinished business." Just as he spun to apparate away I seen Draco jump and hold onto Antonin Dolohov who had apparated us away from the screams of my friends. At least they could alert someone that we were gone. Narcissa is going to go crazy.
As we landed in a large ballroom it seems Draco recognised where he was and whilst Dolohov was finding his feet with me attached to him he jumped behind us and stuck his wand against his neck.
"Let her go! NOW!" Slowly he let go of me and I turned as Draco pulled me away and close to his body but did not lower his wand. Before Dolohov could do anything else I felt two wands press against the back of our own necks and knew we were fucked.
"Antonin, are you insane? The dark lord with flay us alive if he finds out you have brought the mudblood here. She is off limits, she belongs to Severus." I didn't understand what was going on. Why would I belong to Snape? What did he have to do with anything.
Fenrir Grayback looked even more wolflike in reality and seeing Bellatrix Lestrange again up close made me realise howmuch Andromeda looks like her. Minus the crazy eyes of course. Bellatrix Black was probably a very beautiful woman at one point but now Bellatrix Lestrange, either due to Azkaban,dark magic or personal neglect she looked wretched.
The older womans gaze fell to Dracos wand and I realised what was going to happen before anyone else did. Shesnatched his wand from his hand and slapped him on the face.
"Who might you be? Dressed as a pureblood but sullying yourself with a mud blood. How in the name of Merlin did you get ahold of my nephews wand?" As I looked at Draco he knew he fucked up but we were both relinquished of our wands and thankfully we both had our Occlumency Shields to help keep our future secrets safe.
" I asked you a question." He just smirked at her and her head cocked to theside before drawing her wand and wavng it in his face and casting a silent FINITE. His hair turned back to blonde and soon Draco Malfoy stood in all his arrogant glory.
"Dragon! What on earth have you done? Where is your mother?" She dragged me by the hair and Greyback pulled him into the middle of the room and we were strapped to the floor using vines from her wand.
"I think the Dark Lord will be happier we found the boy more than he will be pissed off we took the girl too." She nodded and climbed over my body in a way that was entirely too reminiscent of the future I had already lived. Draco noticed too and started thrashing against the vines holding him.
"It's a shame Snape can't get it up, if she was handed to me on a silver platter I could have my way with her." Bellatrix laughed at the werewolf before shaking her head and glancing at her nephew.
"Please there would be nothing left of her if you had your way. Is that what you want to see Dragon, your little girlfriend torn to pieces whilst being savaged by Fenrir." Dolohov laughed at that before the sheer painerupted under my skin as she cast a silent Crucio at me.
" Leave her alone, stop." It subsided for a, second before shelicked my cheek and glanced at her nephew again.
" There is one thing the Dark Lord wanted more than anything and that was an inside man at Hogwarts. You, Draco were to be his crowning glory. Tonight you will get that opportunity. Call him." Dolohov pulled up his sleeves and touched his mark with his wand and within ten seconds the snake faced bastard was in front of us.
"Ah my pet, what do you have here?" He caressed Belaltrixs face whom leant into him in a pathetic attempt at affection. He got closer and closer to us both before a large smileerupted on his face.
"Well, well, it seems we havefound our leverage. Draco Malfoy we have been looking for you. Tonight will change your life, forever." Ishook my head and tried to fight the bindings and pleadingly looked at Draco.
"You cannot, he has to be willing to take, it. You can't force this on him." Deja Vu was kicking in and I realised that this time around they were going to use me to try and convince him to take the mark. Voldemort called his followers and over the course of the next ten minutes they all slowly trickled in. Voldemort used that opportunity to try and access our heads and it pleased me how frustrated he got being unable to breach our walls.
The last into the room was none other than Severus Snape who looked surprised for a split second before coming to sit down on his left hand side opposide Bellatrix. The vines Belaltrix strapped us too slowly started pulling upward so as we were standing up with our tiptoes barely touching the ground and our hands pulled high above our heads.
"My loyal followers, as you can see Draco has been found and although the whereabouts of his mother is still unknown we welcome Draco back into the fold. Tonight is a very special occasion, tonight is the night that Draco takes the mark."
I was watching Severus Snape from the second he walked in and as soon as his own eyes reached my own he had not once drawn his eyes away. He had the mask of Stoicism firmly in place but he was holding me to him almost giving me a lifeline.
"So Young Draco are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way. No matter which choice you pick, I can guarantee you will leave this house with a mark on your arm. Atonement for the sins of your father."
I broke my gaze from Snape to allow me to look at Draco. He looked Dazed at me and I shook my head to try and get my point across to him.
"Let her go, I will do anything you want but let her go." I shook my head and went to protest before the painerupted throughout my body again and as I tensed up my shoulders felt like they were being pulled from the sockets. The scream didn't even sound like me, I caught Severus Snapes eyes again and held onto them for dear life before the pain subsided.
"Stop it, leave her alone. You need me you don't need her so stop." I just kept shaking my head at him and told him I could take it. I can take it.
"This is not a negotiation Young Lord, the only way to get this to stop is to make a choice." The Dark Lord smirked and nodded to Antonin Dolohov and Grey back to walk over to me. Dolohov stood in the front and ran his eyes up and down my body before stepping so close he was practically dryhumping me.
"Do you know what they are going to do to her? Antonin is going to have a go, before Greyback, you will be lucky if there is anything left of your girl. I do not blame you for turning your back against us young Dragon, female influence I hard for a teenager and she is pretty. For a mudblood." I was pissed and let Dolohov get closer and closer to my neck which he was currently licking before I bit onto his ow and didn't let go. The man will never learn, as he tried to pull away from me I felt his flesh tear under my teeth and as I let go he stumbled backward with blood dripping from his neck.
"You vicious little bitch!" Greyback found it hilarious and I was sure I looked horrendous right now, I didn't stop myself and swung my leg backward hard to collide, with the wolfs privates. He crumpled to the ground and I felt the brood trickle down my face as I caught the gaze of Draco and Severus.
"Don't you get it! There is nothing you lot can do to me that will be worth him losing his free will to you." Voldemort narrowed his eyes at me as Bellatrix tried to heal Dolohov and silenced Greyback who was rolling around the ground in dramatics. The only thing I can do right now is stall them all, hopefully the Order will come up with a plan for us to get out.
"Do they know Tom?" He cocked his head at me before calmly coming toward me, he looked amused and I knew this was going to go one of two ways. I was either going to be killed on the spot or he would torture me long enough to ignore Draco. Surely Severus Snape would not let anything happen to his godson.
"Know what you filthy, ignorant girl." I had him hooked, now was the time to lay some things on the table.
"Do they know they are kissing the arse of a half blooded orphan." I could see surprise and anger in his face and I didn't want to give him a chance to respond so I in quick succession continued.
"Oh I know all about it, Tom Marvolo Riddle, grand descendant of Salazar Slytherin. A muggle father and a mother who should have had everything being descended from Slytherin but lived a shack and had to use a love potion to ensnare the muggle man. You throwing around the name Lord Voldemort, are we overcompensating. Its the only conclusion I can come to. You might see me as filth but I'm no dirtier than you. " He whipped out his wand and I knew this was going to hurt. I landed my eyes on Severus Snape again who was for once smirking, I had never seen him smirk before and it unnerved me slightly.
" CRUCIO!" Three round of the curse had me trembling and as he eased off he asked looked furious at me.
"Imperio." I was awaiting the free will being stripped from me, nothing came, my mind stayed clear and I smirked through the trembling which seemed topiss him off.
"It's alright, everyone has performance issues." Three slicing hexes were aimed in my direction and I felt blood slowly seep from my arm, cheek and lower abdomen. The pulling of my arms caused even more pain to shoot through my body.
"Stop, stop I will do it. Leave her alone, stop it." In that second the door to the right blew open and in walked the cavalry. Being led by Albus Dumbledore, the Order blew in on broomsticks and Narcissa spotted us right away in her glamour.
Running toward us as the fighting began she waved her wand and instantly we both fell to the ground. She looked between us both and a dissollutioned Severus Snape appeared and helped me to my feet whilst avoiding a hex to the left.
"Get them out of here, Miss Granger take this." He handed me a pepper up which gave me the strength I needed to stand fully.
"Dobby, can you please apparate Draco to my home please." He nodded and within seconds she was gone, so was Snape. As I turned around I could see most of the Order apparate away and just as Narcissa ran to me, Greyback appeared from behind her and as she fell to the ground I noticed blood appear from her leg.
" Sectumsempra." His throat began to ooze blood from my curse and I grabbed Narcissa, helped her to her feet and we ran as fast as we could before apparating away from the carnage. Albus Dumbledore was engaged in a battle with Riddle and the last thing I seen was the headmaster recieve a hex to his arm. Fucking idiot!
That's us folks. I hope you enjoy andI will try and upload another soon. Please Review. Until next time.
