Chapter Two

Thanks to everyone who reads and to my beautiful beta, peskipiksi! This is JKR's playground; I just stopped by to swing a while...

Hermione Granger, on her final summer holiday from Hogwarts, had finally closed her book and was settling into bed, when she heard the quiet shuffle of feet outside her bedroom door. Knowing her parents had been asleep for hours, she quickly realized that nothing good could be in the hallway.

Swiftly slipping out of bed, she snatched up her wand and cast a Silencing Spell on herself. She vaguely thought about what a disaster it could be if the spell didn't actually work. It was a side project she had been working on in hopes of giving the Order an advantage over the Death Eaters during raids and confrontations. This particular spell of her own creation allowed you to be extremely precise in what was silenced, rather than causing a bubble of unnatural quietness that could be detected by someone paying close attention to their surroundings.

Hermione cast a normal Silencing Charm on her door as well, so that she could ease it open and hopefully make a run for the stairs. She couldn't Apparate out of her room because she felt what she assumed were Anti-Apparition Jinxes as soon as they were cast. Now, all she could do was wait and hope that she could get to a place to call the Order. Or she at least wanted to get to the stairs to create a distraction and draw whoever was in the house away from her parents.

Soon enough, muffled voices and a scream came from the Grangers' bedroom, and Hermione determined to make her move. She slowly pulled her door open, and seeing no one in the hallway, she sneaked to the open door of her parents' room, the stairs lying just beyond. Taking a moment to gather information to pass on to the Order, Hermione made a quick count of the men she could see, and was surprised to only count three Death Eaters.

Impulsively, Hermione decided to help her parents, rather than running out of the house. She couldn't stand the thoughts of them in pain or possibly dying while she ran away, not knowing how long it would take for someone to get help to her. She took a deep breath and burst into the room, startling the masked figures. Only by virtue of that surprise was she able to Stupefy all three of them. She never realised that there was one more Death Eater in the house, and that he was waiting patiently behind her parents' bedroom door.

Hermione never even heard the Stunning Spell that brought her down from behind. She never knew when the other Death Eaters were awakened or when they Portkeyed her to the Dark Lord's most recent hiding place. And she never heard the screams of her parents as they were left behind, dying.

*****

"Ennervate."

Hermione was jerked from the blessed darkness that had swallowed her for what seemed like days. She came to, her head pounding and nausea threatening to overcome what little wits she had about her. A sharp kick to her side, and the nausea won. She rolled over and retched miserably, all the while listening vaguely to taunts and laughter in the background.

"Well, little Mudblood, thought you were smarter than us, hmmm? I think we need to work on reminding you what and where your place is." The voice coming from the stark white mask was muffled, and Hermione couldn't place it at all. Another kick, this time to her hip, and the voice boomed at her, "GET UP!"

When she didn't move fast enough, fingers grabbed harshly at her long, curly hair and yanked until she stood in compliance, tears of pain rolling down her cheeks. Hermione was pushed and pulled down a long, dank corridor until finally they arrived at a torchlit chamber. There were masked and robed people all around the perimeter of the room, and everyone was acting as though they were at a party. The Death Eater gripping Hermione's hair dragged her unceremoniously to the far edge of the group and forced her to her knees in front of a large throne-like chair. From the depths of the shadows shrouding that seat uncoiled a tall, lithe figure. It took Hermione's racing brain several moments to clear enough to register that she was on her knees at the mercy of He Who Must Not Be Named himself.

"Voldemort." Hermione breathed the name harshly.

Before he could say anything to her, Bellatrix Lestrange flew at Hermione and slapped her hard across the face, knocking her onto her injured side. "How DARE you speak My Lord's name, filth!" screeched the woman.

"Bella, control yourself or begone from my sight." The Dark Lord moved away from his seat. "This is my prize to toy with, no one else's. You presume too much when you act without my permission."

Bella moved back trembling, but Hermione couldn't have said whether it was from bloodlust or fear of the serpentine man standing in front of her. And snakelike he was, with white scaly skin, slitted nostrils, and red pupils that were oval shaped like a poisonous snake's. Hermione was wrenched from her reverie when another movement of the man brought him into her personal space.

"Well, Mudblood, what shall I do with you? You have caused me no end of trouble with your little friends," Voldemort hissed. "You would make an admirable gift to one of my servants, or perhaps your ravaged body hanging from the gates of Hogwarts would be a better use for you."

Hermione didn't move, but her fear managed to clear away the remainder of the cloudiness from her brain, and she began to work on ways of escape, or to at least take someone out with her if she was to be a sacrifice for the Cause. Her mind briefly wandered to her parents, and she ruthlessly locked those emotions down, knowing she would be lost if she dwelled on them in that moment. The Dark Lord's voice brought her back to the present, and she tried to listen to the conversation as he decided on the course of action he preferred. As she knelt there she ran her hands through her hair and realized that one the of Portkey earrings she had created for emergencies was caught in her hair.

Before she could react and get away, Voldemort ordered her stripped and dragged to the centre of the Death Eater's circle. The Death Eater who had brought her to the throne room held her arms tightly behind her back. She stood there, still trying to figure out a way to untangle the earring and escape, or die swiftly. The Dark Lord had followed his prisoner, and as he prepared to announce her fate, he snapped a collar around her neck. He waved away the man holding her and said, "Let her go. This collar will kill her if she leaves this room. The Mudblood will be going nowhere.

"Draco Malfoy, you have failed me once too often. Perhaps this assignment will be more to your liking and to your ability." Voldemort sneered as he beckoned Draco forward. "Take the Mudblood, break her well, then kill her, and I will mark you and give you your Father's place in my circle."

At that statement, several gasps were heard around the room. The only way to gain a place in the Inner Circle was for a member to die. Voldemort grinned evilly as he looked around.

"That is my final word, Lucius; you have outlived your usefulness. I have a taste for a blood sacrifice this night, and perhaps my Potions master's stores will benefit from your generosity." The Dark Lord hissed a laugh, then declared, "Your son will make a decent follower with you out of the way."

A wave of his hand, and the Dark Lord had Lucius incapacitated and laid out on a table like a sacrifice on an altar. "After Draco is marked, his first duty to his master will be to end your life."

Lucius didn't flinch; he just gazed at his son and, not for the first time, wished he had never met Voldemort. He sighed harshly as he listened to the madman threaten Draco.

"Do it, boy, or I will kill your mother after she has been tasted by every one of my followers who wishes to indulge!"

Draco moved towards Hermione and pushed her harshly to the floor. He kicked her sharply in her bruised side, then stood over her watching her struggle for breath. And as the tears started to slide down her cheeks, he fell to his knees in front of her.

Speaking quietly, so only she could hear, Draco muttered, "I'm sorry, Granger, I wish I wasn't here. But it's my mother's life or yours and, well, I've no choice." Draco pushed her legs apart, then started unfastening his clothes, rambling all the while. "Aunt Bella made me come tonight. She threatened to kill Mother, too. I never wanted to be a part of the rape and killing. I just wanted my rightful place as a pureblood." He leaned over her and placed one hand between her breasts, his other hand moved betwen her thighs.

Hermione nodded slightly, made a quick decision and then whispered, "Draco Malfoy, be safe, and tell my boys I love them." Before he understood what she was doing, Hermione grabbed his wrist, thrust an earring into his hand before he could touch her intimately and whispered, "Retreat." Draco was gone in a flash, Portkeyed to some unknown place and the Death Eaters were in turmoil staring at the girl lying splayed in their midst.

Hermione waited for the Avada Kedavra curse, or even to be attacked physically, but nothing happened. Complete silence ruled the moment. She didn't move, but slowly opened her eyes to see Voldemort staring rigidly towards Lucius Malfoy. "Well, Lucius, it seems you are useful once again. I suppose that I will have to spare you... for now." With a scream of rage, he turned on Hermione, fury emanating from every pore. "Mudblood bitch, you think you have defeated me. Now you will die and I will send your body back to Potter in pieces!" Spittle flew out of Voldemort's mouth as he shouted his fury and raised his wand. "AVADA... "

"NOOOO... " echoed over the incantation, and Narcissa Malfoy threw herself between the Dark Lord and Hermione, throwing up a useless Shield Charm as she hovered over the prone girl. "Please, My Lord, she knows where my son is!"

Time seemed to freeze. No Death Eater moved, even Lucius stared in shock as his wife stood up to the dread Dark Lord and his malevolence. "Don't kill her, please, I need her to find Draco."

"You overstep yourself, woman!" He screamed furiously. "How dare you put you and your desires above mine? You will be punished for this, make no mistake." He raised his wand again and the unthinkable happened. Once more, Lord Voldemort was interrupted.

"My Lord, if you please, I have an idea that will rid you of this filth and also bring about the downfall of another follower of Dumbledore. We can strike at the very heart of the Order." Talking fast, Fenrir Greyback stepped forward and bowed.

"Greyback? What could you possibly do that would interest me?" Voldemort sneered hatefully at the werewolf, another species he felt superior to. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now for interrupting the doling out of punishments."

"My Lord, we have been trying to regain a lost member of our pack... Remus Lupin." The Dark Lord's interest perked up at that statement, and Fenrir continued. "I have discovered an old spell that will bind him to me, as his sire, and force the darkness to flood his wolf form. He will not realize it while human, but around the full moon, nothing will keep the were part of him subdued, not even the Wolfsbane Potion. He will turn on anyone around him, including his family and friends." The wolf nodded towards Hermione. "That is, providing that the girl is still virgin, and stays that way 'til the ritual is done."

Voldemort flashed several spells at Hermione, then nodded. "You discovered a spell of which I know nothing?"

Fenrir shrugged. "One of the newer members of my pack was caught in Romania when we were foraging there. She had been there researching werewolves and vampires. I was lucky enough to get her before the bloodsuckers did."

The Dark Lord nodded, staring coldly at his servant. "Take the girl; the collar will no longer affect her... And take Narcissa Malfoy. She can ensure the girl stays untouched until the time is right. How long will this take?"

"It takes three months to brew the first potion. I will need someone to do that for me. Perhaps Snape can be persuaded?"

"No, I don't want him involved. He has to keep Dumbledore appeased, and if it got out that the Mudblood was alive, he would be expected to help her. Bella will brew for you. Is there anything else of which I need to be aware?"

"After the first potion is brewed, the sacrifice is prepared for three full moon cycles, then there is a second potion, but it has to be brewed on the Winter Solstice. The ritual is performed then."

Voldemort returned to his seat and waved his hands in a dismissive gesture. "Very well, you have six months and Bella's help. I expect complete success. Go now and do not fail me in this. Fail and you die; succeed, and your rewards will be great."

Greyback leered. "Many thanks, my Lord, I am sure that Madame Malfoy will follow your instructions very closely, and we will be succesful." He took custody of Narcissa and Hermione, and left the room, dragging them by chains clipped to the collars that had been forced on them both.

"Death Eaters... leave me... Lucius, remain." Voldemort banished his minions with those words, then turned on his once favoured lieutenant. "No complaints, my follower? Your son is gone, most likely dead or imprisoned in Azkaban and your wife the toy of werewolves. Greyback's collar fitted her well." The Dark Lord stared into Lucius' eyes. "Perhaps you have finally shown your loyalty to me. It is about time. Now, I need you to go to Severus and let him know what has happened. I did not call him because I did not want the old man to be able to question him about the Mudblood. He needs to be debriefed on tonight's activities so that he can plan accordingly and create a plausible excuse for not knowing. Make sure you tell him the Mudblood is dead. No one can know we have her. Go!"

Lucius did not speak. He merely bowed deeply to his Lord, and then vanished leaving a chuckling Voldemort alone.

"Things could not have gone better if I had planned tonight's events." Voldemort laughed, then Disapparated, leaving behind an empty room.

*****

Severus Snape ended his recitation and looked at the Headmaster, gratefully accepting the cup of tea he offered. "I must check on my wife and son; you will answer any questions?"

Albus nodded. "Of course, my boy!" Snape grimaced as stood from his chair, turned on his heel and stalked off. "Does anyone have any questions so far?"

Harry nodded belligerently. "How does he know what happened that night if he wasn't there? I think he was in on it, and this is all a trick." Ron murmured in agreement.

"Think, boys; Severus knows the whole story because Hermione was there, and the parts she was not aware of, Lucius was. He and Narcissa."

Ron scoffed and there were mutterings in the group. "Like I would trust either one of them."

Remus looked at the Headmaster and spoke up. "She was held by Greyback because of me. I don't know what to say... "

Albus just shook his head and asked if there any more questions. No one else spoke up. They were waiting for the rest of the story to be told.

*****

While the Order members were waiting for Snape to return, he was busy making sure that Hermione and the baby had been taken care of. Alexander was fed and clean and was already deeply asleep in Poppy's arms. Hermione herself was drowsing and started when Severus touched her.

"I am sorry, love. I just wanted to let you know that the meeting is not yet finished. I can't say when story time will be finished, so I will take you to our quarters where you can get some rest." Severus moved to pick Hermione up when she began protesting.

"Please, I don't want to be alone right now. Can't I stay right here?" Tears began welling in her eyes. "I won't move from this seat and I promise to sleep. Please?"

Severus looked down at his young wife. "You don't need my permission to do anything, but yes, love, you can stay here. Let me get Poppy to tend to Alexander in her quarters and you stay here and try to rest."

Hermione nodded and kissed her son before relinquishing him to Poppy's care.

"I'll just be in the Hospital Wing if you need anything, and I will make sure that Alexander is safe," Poppy assured his parents. "Just come to my quarters when you are ready."

Poppy carried the sleeping baby to the fireplace and disappeared in a flash of green flame. When she was gone, Hermione settled deeper into the cushions Severus had conjured and drifted off into a light slumber. Severus cast a weak Silencing Charm over the makeshift bed to give her some quiet in which to rest, then he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Taking a deep breath, he left Hermione sleeping in the window seat. He took his time walking back across the room because he wasn't particularly looking forward to answering any more questions. He was looking forward least of all to telling the dark part of Hermione's story. The secret they had been keeping, the chance to end the war, wasn't going to be much easier to explain. There were just too many unbelievers now. Severus shook off his concerns and resumed his seat next to the Headmaster. "I am assuming that there are more questions? Or may I continue to astound the Order with my storytelling ability?"

The Headmaster laughed lightly. "Severus, humorous as always. Please do continue, everyone has been waiting for your return; there has not been a question from anyone." Albus gestured towards the Order members.

"I have a question for Snape," Harry ground out. "What did you do to Hermione--spell or potion? I know she refused to go out with Ron because she never wanted to be a mum."

Ron made a strangled noise in his throat, red colour suffusing his face. "Bloody hell, Harry; that was supposed to be a secret."

Harry brushed off his friend's complaints. "Well, don't you think it's strange she would tell you that, then she disappears, and when she comes back she has a baby? I think there is something wrong and I want to know what."

Severus snorted. "Of course, Potter, you should know everything. It is your right as the Chosen One." He glared at Harry. "Have you ever thought that maybe not everything is about you? Perhaps, just perhaps there are things in this world that don't concern you?"

"If it's about Hermione, it is my business." Harry seethed, shrugging off the hands holding him in his seat. He stood and took a menacing step towards Severus. "I think you drugged and raped her. I don't know why she would touch you otherwise."

Remus stood and pulled Harry back. "That is enough, Harry!" he barked. "You know nothing, so sit down, close your mouth, and open your ears. Obviously, there is more to this story than meets the eye. You forget, I know Fenrir Greyback and if he was involved, Severus is the least of your worries. Did you not see how Hermione reacted to me earlier? And to the rest of us... " He pushed a stunned Harry back into his chair, then sat back down himself. Harry didn't move; he was in shock at the reaction Remus had at his outburst. Grudgingly, he waited for Severus to continue.

"If there are no other questions, may I continue?" Severus' scathing tones painted the hush that had fallen over the group. "For your information, Potter, I never wanted a child either, for many reasons. However, things don't always work out the way we plan. Hermione and I had no choice in the matter, but we are doing what we must."

Minerva spoke up, a tad belligerently. "Severus, please tell me you have some feelings for the girl... "

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes. "I fail to see how my feelings for Hermione and Alexander are pertinent to this story, at least at this juncture. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to continue. This is difficult enough without everyone's opinions being thrown about." He tapped a long, elegant finger against his lips. "Where was I? Oh, yes, Greyback had taken Hermione and Cissy... Out of respect for my wife, I won't dwell on her captivity at first. Things will come out soon enough, and I am sure there will be questions. At this point, however, I will pick up where she was delivered into my care."