Nightmares, Routines, and Discoveries

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews ... I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far, and I hope you'll also enjoy this next installment! I have to admit it – I went a bit over the length the challenge called for in this chapter (by 80 words, to be exact). Since I'm not actually competing, I hope you'll forgive me. I think the quote for this chapter was the hardest one for me to incorporate (although I would only really characterize one of the nine I used as even approaching easy ... When the story is finished, I'll be interested to see how many of you can guess which one that was!).

The characters and concepts are still not mine, even if the the way I play with them is. ;)

Chapter 3 – Nightmares, Routines, and Discoveries

Hermione drifted down the hall toward the boys' dormitory, a chill running down her spine. It was so quiet – unnaturally, eerily silent – in Gryffindor tower. She reached the doorway at last, glancing in and expecting to see five boys asleep. Instead, she saw a figure standing over a bed, wand raised toward a quivering mass in the center of it. Lightning flashed, and she saw the unmistakable wide blue eyes and red hair of one of the Weasley boys, though the way he was holding the blanket up in front of him, she couldn't see which one ... It had to be Ron, didn't it? What other Weasley would be in the boys' dorm with Harry?

Even as she had the thought, Sirius turned and pointed his wand at Hermione. As the word "Avada" crossed his lips, his hair turned red and his eyes blue ...

Hermione sat up in bed, gasping and willing her heart to slow down. This was becoming ridiculous, she scolded herself. She had had the same nightmare every night for the past two weeks, ever since she had been told that there was a traitor in the Order. She had attempted, after the third night, to obtain some Dreamless Sleep Potion from Madam Pomfrey, only to discover that she was on holiday in Greece for the entire summer.

If this kept up, she would have to ask Professor Snape – which she really wanted to avoid. He had been surprisingly tolerant and helpful so far, as she had developed her formal independent study proposal. Naturally, he still got irritated when she asked too many questions, but at least he answered her most of the time. Sometimes, he even seemed truly interested in discussing her theory and how her project was going – at least for a moment here or there, anyway.

Hermione had developed a comfortable routine. Professor Vector had agreed to supervise her in Arithmancy, so Hermione met with her for an hour each morning immediately after breakfast. Then she went to the library, where she stayed until lunch, researching relevant Arithmancy theory or working out preliminary equations. After lunch, she met with Professor Snape in his laboratory, where she helped him with the grunt work involved in re-stocking the infirmary's supply of basic potions as they discussed potions issues relevant to her project. She always stayed until the day's potions were complete, even if they finished discussing her project before they were done brewing. Once the potions were bottled and the lab tidied, she took a walk on the grounds, then spent whatever remained of the afternoon, as well as much of the evening after dinner, working on Potions theory for her study.

It was very nearly a perfect existence, Hermione thought, if not for those pesky nightmares that kept reminding her that someone she trusted wanted to harm her. Well, that and the fact that she was thinking far more than she should about Professor Snape.

She didn't know when it had started, really. Perhaps it was simply that she was spending so much time with him because of her project. Perhaps it was because he seemed so different, so much more relaxed, than he ever had during the school year. Perhaps it was because, notwithstanding his complex history, he was the only Order member, other than Dumbledore himself, that she was absolutely certain was not the traitor.

Or perhaps it was because, several times in the past week, she had caught him looking at her with an odd expression on his face. She was accustomed to his sneers and his scowls and his general expressions of sour disdain when he chanced to see her, but lately, his expression was usually neutral. Sometimes, it even looked speculative, like he was curious about something.

She wondered what that look meant. She had almost asked him, once, but had suppressed the question, suspecting that it might disturb the unspoken truce they seemed to have reached.

Now, glancing at the clock, Hermione decided she may as well get up. Although her pulse rate had returned to something approximating normal, she had no desire to risk having the nightmare a second time in one night.

Besides, five a.m. wasn't so early, was it?

When she arrived at the Potions lab that afternoon, Professor Snape announced, "We aren't brewing today. If you aren't wearing sturdy shoes, go change."

Hermione tried to hide her surprise at this change in routine. "I've got my trainers on – will that be all right?"

He glanced at her feet, then said, "It will do. Take this." He handed her a large basket that had several compartments, then picked up a similar one himself, along with a scythe in a dragonhide scabbard. He fastened the latter around his waist.

He led her down a hallway Hermione had never seen before; she could only assume there was a Notice-Me-Not charm on the entrance. Eventually, they exited the castle near the greenhouses. He glanced at her and said, "Wait here."

She nodded, watching him walk toward greenhouse number five. Professor Sprout came to the doorway and greeted him rather more warmly than Hermione would have expected – it seemed odd to think that Professor Snape might have friends amongst his colleagues. They conversed for a few minutes, and Hermione even thought she saw Professor Snape smile once. Then, he pulled a parchment from a pocket in his robes and handed it to Professor Sprout.

When he returned to Hermione, he didn't pause. He said, "Come. We have much to do before sunset."

They headed into the Forbidden Forest, and Hermione was fascinated by all the species of plants they passed. They didn't collect anything on the outward journey, but Professor Snape pointed out a number of things they would gather on their return. She asked, "Why not take them now?"

He gave her a speaking look, but said only, "More ingredients will be fresher if we postpone, and some we cannot shrink, as using magic on them would ruin them."

Hermione flushed. "Right ... er, sorry," she murmured awkwardly, and braced herself for a scathing comment.

But he simply said, "Indeed," and continued walking.

At last, they reached a clearing full of knotgrass. Professor Snape said, "I'll cut the grass. Collect it by Summoning it and catching it in your basket. Do not touch it, as the oils on your skin will cause it to lose potency faster in storage. And stay clear of the blade, as I have no desire to visit St. Mungo's today."

Hermione nodded, and they set to work in a surprisingly comfortable silence. Hermione realized quickly that her basket was magicked similarly to her beaded bag, so that, after spelling the others closed, she was able to collect half a field's worth of knotgrass in one compartment.

After a while, Hermione's attention wandered, and she found herself again pondering who might be the spy within the Order. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of it.

Eventually, they had enough knotgrass, and they began walking back toward the castle. They gathered a variety of mushroom and some nettles in a marshy area, then collected several species of fern and moss from a series of wooded areas just off the path. Hermione eventually ventured, "Professor?"

"What is it?" he asked, sounding resigned.

"I was wondering ..." Hermione's voice trailed off, then she decided to take the chance that he would snap at her. "Do you know who the Headmaster suspects of being a spy?"

He gave her a sharp look. After a moment, he said, "Yes."

"Oh," Hermione said. She shouldn't have been surprised, as she had thought he seemed to know, but she was. After a moment, she asked, "Do you think he's right?"

"Yes," Snape said bluntly.

Hermione digested that. "Would you tell me who it is?"

"The Headmaster wishes to be certain before revealing that information to you," Snape reminded her.

"Is it ..." Hermione paused, then took a breath before asking, "It's someone I trust, isn't it?"

"Is there anyone amongst the Order you don't trust?" he asked, his voice almost gentle. "Aside from me, of course." He pointed at the base of a tree. "Collect some of those ferns, please, and use a stasis spell on them before putting them in your basket."

Hermione stopped walking and stared at him. "I trust you, sir. Why would you think I don't trust you?"

He stopped, too, and looked at her disbelievingly. "Why would I think you do?"

"I'm not stupid, Professor. I know you've been protecting all of us since the moment we set foot in Hogwarts as little firsties. I have no reason to think you've suddenly changed your mind now."

"Someone obviously has," he pointed out reasonably.

"Yes, but it wasn't you," Hermione said stubbornly. "If it was you, you had the perfect opportunity when you collected me from my parents' house at the beginning of the summer. You could easily have said you were too late."

Snape nodded once in acknowledgement, and Hermione had the strange feeling that she had pleased him.

She turned away to collect the ferns. He said quietly, "It is someone you trust. I don't believe he's a particular friend of yours, but you trust him because of his family connections."

Whirling to face him, she asked bluntly, "It's one of the Weasleys, isn't it?" He stared at her, looking stunned. Because she was crazy? Or because she had worked it out? She continued, reasoning aloud, "Well, it's certainly not Arthur or Molly – Arthur thinks too highly of Muggle technology to think Purebloods superior. Molly's brothers were killed by Death Eaters in the last war. Ron and Ginny are too young – they aren't in the Order yet. Charlie's off with his dragons in Romania, so he isn't in position to spy, and Bill's traveling with Fleur this summer, so it's not him, either. That leaves the twins, who probably couldn't be bothered with anything as serious as spying, and –" Hermione stopped abruptly. "Oh, Merlin, it's Percy, isn't it?" Snape said nothing, so she continued, "It makes a weird kind of sense, doesn't it? He's at the Ministry, and he's so focused on his position, and prestige ... But I didn't realize he was in the Order ..."

Snape asked softly, "What were Dumbledore's exact words?"

"What?" Hermione thought. "He said you suspected there was a traitor within the Order."

"He never used the word 'within,'" Snape said, shaking his head.

Hermione thought some more. "What word did he use, then?"

"He said, 'we suspect there is a traitor amongst the Order.'"

"'Amongst,' not within," Hermione mused aloud. "Such a subtle difference in meaning ... So it is Percy, then?"

Snape gave her an enigmatic look. "It hasn't been proven. Don't trust anyone until it is." He turned and began walking toward the castle, leaving her staring after him in shock. By the time she gathered her wits and hurried after him, he was nearly out of sight.

Quote from PA: "Black had proved twelve years ago that he didn't mind murdering innocent people, and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys, four of whom were asleep."