Revelations

Disclaimer: Still not mine *sigh*

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Damage Control - Chapter Eight

Revelations

"Severus, I'd like you to put a tracking charm on Miss Granger. If Lucius cannot get to her with his son's help, he may attempt to kidnap her from other places. And she can only spend so much time confined to her aunt's house," Dumbledore said.

Severus Snape smirked. There was a way to get back at the Granger chit, presented to him on a golden platter. He would follow the headmaster's request, but the headmaster did not tell him which tracking charm to use. He envisioned the fun he would soon have with her, after putting the Remitto Sermo charm on her. This way, he would not only know her whereabouts at all times, he would also know every single word she uttered while the charm was in place.

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Hermione was surprised to be woken up by another school owl. She untied the letter with the Hogwarts seal from the owl's leg and opened it.

'Dear Miss Granger,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'

Hermione was curious what the 'recent developments' were, and why she was being summoned by Professor Dumbledore. Figuring that it must be something of importance by the tone of the letter, she decided to go sooner rather than later and set out to let Alana know of her whereabouts.

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Hermione was correct in assuming that Draco's name would activate the Portkey and within moments she arrived in the headmaster's office as he was enjoying a late morning tea with the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.

They exchanged pleasantries before Dumbledore relayed the recent events that potentially involved Hermione. Professor McGonagall was listening aptly, having missed some of the finer details as she had not been present when the headmaster had spoken with the Potions master.

McGonagall was aghast when she heard Lucius Malfoy's plans to present Hermione to Voldemort.

"Albus, you can't put Hermione in such danger! Surely, it would be in her best interest to find a Secret Keeper and send her into hiding until the danger is over!"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think that will solve the problem. If they don't focus on me they'll turn to Ron or even Harry to cause havoc. It was probably sheer convenience that Malfoy chose me since he's assuming that I will be taking part in the Summer Potions project. I don't want to run away from any danger. If I do that it will only prolong the war!" Hermione was adamant that she would not go into hiding.

"Miss Granger is right, Minerva. If we hide her, the war will continue to drag on and on. Instead, we should put our efforts into finding a way to force Voldemort out in the open so that we have a fair chance of winning the confrontation. This has been going on for far too long already and particularly now, with Harry's life being completely out in the open for everyone to read about, the time has come for us to conclude the matter. And I dare say we have a better chance by not going on the defensive," Dumbledore evidently agreed with Hogwarts' top student. He continued, "I've asked Severus to put a tracking charm on Miss Granger and we will take measures to secure her aunt's house where she is staying at present. She will not return to Hogwarts until the school year begins, ensuring that Lucius will lose some of the control he has over Draco."

An idea hit Hermione. Not only would it ensure her safety at her aunt's house but she could also involve Alana and her emerging magical abilities - 'is it really magic? Or might it be something else entirely, something big, involving all races?' - thus making certain that her relatives would have protection from Death Eaters at least while at home.

"Professor Dumbledore, I could apply protective Runes around the house, I'm sure my cousin would appreciate the learning experience," Hermione suggested, "and that way I'd feel like I'm contributing..." Her thoughts trailed briefly to the knowledge she had acquired over the past few years from several books on the subject and her Ancient Runes classes.

Dumbledore smiled at her benignly over his glasses. "Splendid idea, Miss Granger. Would three days be enough for you? Once you've done your part, let me know and we'll come and reinforce the protection."

"Yes, that should be sufficient, thank you, Sir," she replied.

"Good, that's sorted then. Now, Miss Granger, if you could go down to the dungeons to meet with Professor Snape so that he can place a tracking charm on you. After that you'll be free to return to your well earned holidays." Dumbledore handed her the Portkey to return her to Aunt Amelia's home and ushered her to the door.

Hermione said her good-byes to the headmaster and her Head of House, and left for the dungeons. The long walk downstairs brought back the memories of her nightmare as well as Alana's words about her Potions professor. She shuddered before shaking off the thoughts determinedly. 'Reality check here, Granger. Alana doesn't know him, and the nightmare was just that, nothing to do with reality', she admonished herself.

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Severus Snape was leisurely reading the latest issue of Ratio Potiarum in his office when Granger knocked at the door. He let her wait just long enough to increase her discomfort before opening the door.

"Miss Granger," he drawled, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He was thoroughly enjoying making her uncomfortable by feigning ignorance as to the reason why she was here.

"Professor Snape," she said politely, "Professor Dumbledore asked me to see you so that you could place a tracking charm on me." Her nervousness was evident.

"Ah, yes, the tracking charm..." Snape said thoughtfully. "I suppose now that I will be aware of every movement you make, you will have to be much more careful when choosing your extracurricular activities." He paused momentarily, "I would also advise you to think twice before deciding to set a member of the staff's robes ablaze..." Hermione blanched. "...or where you steal ingredients from for a potion that you are nowhere near qualified to brew...I will be watching you Miss Granger," his eyes narrowed and he leaned towards her slightly before hissing quietly, "every move that you make." He conveniently forgot to mention that he would also hear every word she uttered whilst the charm was in place.

Hermione nodded, at a complete loss for words. Severus stood upright and arched an eyebrow at the young woman before him, "Miss Know-it-all, speechless? Clearly, this day is to be marked on the calendar," his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"I... I'm sorry, sir," Hermione stammered before falling silent again, twisting her fingers nervously.

"Well, Miss Granger, if you're done fidgeting perhaps you would be so kind as to turn around so that I may place the charm on you. I haven't got all day," Snape drawled, his black eyes glittering.

Hermione complied, suddenly feeling even more uncomfortable as she turned her back to him and listened as he whispered a brief incantation, spoken too softly for her to make out exactly what he was saying. She then felt a cold shiver travel down her spine and she knew that the spell had been cast.

"One last word of advice Miss Granger, should you do anything you are not supposed to, I will know about it. And rest assured, I will take appropriate action," he sneered. "Dismissed."

Hermione let out a breath that she didn't even know she had been holding and didn't even bother to look back at Professor Snape as she exited the Dungeon. 'Phew, that was... typical. Am I glad it's over or what...' she thought to herself on her way out of the castle.

Hermione had just reached the entrance hall when she heard someone call her, "Hey Granger!" She turned around and was face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy. What do you want?" She was not happy to see him. Just because she now knew that he had chosen to follow a different path than his father did not mean that he was suddenly all benign and harmless. She had six years worth of experience with a nasty Draco Malfoy and that had left her weary of him.

"Umh... Granger... Look..." Draco took a deep breath. "I just want to say... I guess it would sound kind of unbelievable if I said I wanted to apologize for my past behaviour..." He sighed and gathered all his courage before looking right into Hermione's eyes. "Look, I'm sorry. I know I've been an arsehole. I don't think I can ever make up for it, but I want you to know that I disagree with most of what my father says and does." He looked relieved now that he managed to say what he felt.

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Where is Draco Malfoy and what have you done with him?" She couldn't quite hide a smirk at the thought of how Alana would react when she told her of the conversation.

"Seriously, Granger, I don't expect us to become best friends, but maybe we can come to some sort of truce. Of course, I would have to be careful once school is on again. If Crabbe and Goyle get wind of me switching to Dumbledore's side, they'll drag me to the Dark Lord straight away," he said, and probably for the first time since Hermione had known him, he sounded sincere.

"I know what you mean. I'm happy with a truce, and I'll make sure not to be friendly once the thugs are back." Hermione was not sure what else to say, but Draco looked at her expectantly. So she continued, and spoke from her heart. "I think you are very courageous, Draco. Not many people have the guts to go against their parents, especially a father as powerful and influential as Lucius. But I'm sure you'll find it worthwhile. A clear conscience, I find, far outweighs the feeling that comes with unfairly gained power."

"I know what you mean," he replied quietly. "Right now I feel more fear than I ever have before, but it feels good to actually not be responsible for anyone's death..." His thoughts seemed to trail off, before he pulled himself together. "Oh, and please tell that Muggle girl that I'm sorry I threatened her. I have a great deal to thank her for because until she knocked me down, I was only considering switching sides. It was her actions combined with the fact that she's a Muggle that finally made me decide to change something."

"Alana is my cousin, and she'll be delighted when I tell her what you said, Draco," Hermione grinned. "Anyway, I better get going. All the best, Draco, and I'll see you around." Hermione left a slightly bewildered Draco behind. He was not sure why she had been grinning, and why would the Muggle girl be delighted to hear what he had said?

As soon as she reached the lawn in front of the castle's entrance doors, Hermione touched the Portkey and seconds later found herself in front of her aunt's house.

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"How did it go?" Alana asked excitedly.

Hermione groaned. "Don't ask... Snape knows, of course, and now he's placed a tracking charm on me. He'll know wherever I am and Merlin only knows what else..." Hermione replied gloomily. "I don't trust him; he didn't even threaten me with expulsion... Anyway, I don't want to talk about it," she said before grinning slyly at her cousin. "I have a message for you, from Draco Malfoy," she continued smugly, and then went on to repeat her conversation with the blond.

Alana squealed. "I knew he had it in him, what did I tell you!"

"Yeah, we agreed that he was able..." Hermione rolled her eyes at her cousin's behaviour. You'd think there's only one guy in the world, and a character out of a book at that, she thought wryly.

Hermione finally managed to get Alana's mind off Malfoy when she informed her of the Runes project she had discussed with Dumbledore and the two girls immediately got to work.

Choosing the right Runes for each door, window, and corner of both the house and the gardens took them the better part of two days. Alana had a good basic knowledge; however, she had never known just how powerful the application of Runes could be. She greedily took in every bit of information Hermione offered and cleverly utilized her newly found knowledge to place the protective wards on her own room - with marginal help from her magical cousin, of course. Towards the evening, Alana finally let herself fall into bed exhausted, while Hermione searched for some parchment and a quill to notify the headmaster that their part of the project was completed.

"Gods, I'm bushed," Alana groaned. "I never thought finding the right Runes and applying them could be so exhausting!"

"It's because it's a fairly new subject for you, and it's been a very intense learning session," Hermione consoled her cousin. "I bet if you studied Runes a few hours a week, you wouldn't find it half as exhausting. If I suddenly spent a day and a half learning Martial Arts, I'd be no less exhausted!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. All I'm good for tonight is to vegetate in front of the computer," Alana said.

Hermione laughed. "See, I'd find that extremely tiring! But then, I'm not used to staring at a computer screen."

Alana giggled. "Oh, I don't stare at it, you know! I read the interesting stuff," she said smugly. Hermione rolled her eyes at her cousin and decided to have an early night. Maybe she'd read up on the training to become an Animagus. It was already nearly a week into the holidays and she had not done any useful reading, except the Harry Potter books, the usefulness of which could be debated, strictly speaking.

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While Hermione Granger delved into the subject of Animagus Transfiguration in the guest room, and Alana chilled in front of her computer in her bedroom, Draco Malfoy sat in the empty Slytherin Common Room, pondering how he ended up at Hogwarts in the middle of the summer holidays. He was finally able to admit to himself that the encounter with the fearless Muggle girl was what pushed him to talk to his godfather about his conscience. Since he had blurted it out to Granger, he was unable to think of anything else.

She was the complete opposite of everything that he had been taught about Muggles. Muggles were supposed to be inferior, even more so than Mudbloods. He had been harbouring doubts about his father's view of Mudbloods for quite some time – and his own, really - ever since he had met Granger. She was a Mudblood, yet she was at the top of their class and excelled at everything she set her mind to with the exception of riding a broom and taming that mass of bushy hair.

And now, since meeting the Muggle girl who had bravely stood up to him and struck him down - without using Magic or even being malicious, well, it had simply pulled the entire carpet of his beliefs from out from underneath him. The experience scared and intrigued him at the same time.

"Contemplating, Draco?" his godfather asked silkily from behind, causing Draco to startle.

Severus Snape had come through the portrait in the Common Room that linked directly to his own quarters. He had spent the past hour in his Investisieve watching the Granger chit teach her cousin how to protect her home with Runes and he couldn't help being impressed by her competence. Nevertheless, he was a bit disappointed that he not yet found any information that he might utilize against her at a later date.

Draco allowed a sigh to escape before he replied. "Just thinking..."

His godfather regarded him with a stern expression on his face. "Draco, if you've changed your mind and wish to return to your father and follow in his steps, you better tell me now and I will perform a memory charm and send you on your way. If you choose to do it at a later time I will have no choice but to turn you over to the Aurors. Is that clear?" He hated to threaten his godson, however he could not jeopardize all the years he had spent as a spy for the Order. Severus had no doubt that Draco would not change his mind again and from what he could gather from the conversation he had witnessed earlier with the know-it-all, Draco himself did not even doubt that he had made the right decision.

For a moment, Draco looked crestfallen but then quickly pulled himself together. "I don't want to go back. I know that I've put not only myself in danger but you as well and probably countless others, but I would rather die than be forced to kill," he replied, his conviction evident in his voice. "And I know it won't be easy, that's for sure," he added, more as an afterthought.

Severus Snape released an inaudible sigh of relief. Despite his certainty of his godson's decision, it felt good to have it confirmed by the boy himself.'There is hope after all...' he thought. 'Three youngsters I was certain would become Death Eaters have switched and perhaps more will follow.' For the first time in many years, he felt a surge of real hope running through his veins.

"You're right, Draco, it won't be easy. But I personally find that I sleep a bit better with a clear conscience rather than pretending not to have one."

Draco gave his godfather a sharp look. "What are you saying, Severus?" Then it dawned on him. "You mean... you're not on the Dark Lord's side, are you?"

"That, Draco, is not your concern. What you don't know, you can't tell." He fixed his godson with a malevolent glare, "And if you breathe a word of this conversation to anyone other than Dumbledore, you will find yourself without a memory." Confident that he had made himself quite clear, Severus left the Common Room to return to his quarters.

It took Draco a long time to find sleep that night. Too much had changed in his life recently, not to the outside, but certainly in himself.

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Draco was not the only one to stay awake most of the night. His sleeping hours were spent instead contemplating his decision, thinking of how his father would react when he learned of his son's decision to turn his back on the Dark Lord and wondering about the first Muggle girl he had ever met in person. She was quite pretty, he thought, before his eyes drooped and he fell asleep, dreaming of a tall girl who knocked him down at every corner without using any weapons.

Hermione Granger was busy once again doing what she did best and simply forgot that the night was usually spent sleeping. She was entirely entranced in the study of Animagus Transfiguration and if she continued her foray into the subject at this speed, she might well be the first, if not only one, in her year to become an Animagus. In the early morning hours, when her eyelids finally refused to remain open, she fell into an uneasy sleep and dreamed of first turning into a Flobberworm and then a dolphin beached at the front gates of Hogwarts.

Alana was in seventh heaven. She spent her time well, surfing Harry Potter fan fiction sites and not only did she find a rather intriguing story that she could hold gleefully under her cousin's nose, she also found a story where Draco was the hero. She lost herself in the universe of magic where Draco Malfoy fell in love with a Muggle girl and the happy ending saw the two getting married in the wedding ceremony of the century, with the blessing of both wizard and Muggle parents before Draco and his bride rode into a beautiful sunset on a sparkling white unicorn no less. Her dreams that night pulled her to the side of Draco Malfoy who lost his heart to her. 'I wish that dream would have continued,' she sighed to herself. 'But the real Draco Malfoy wouldn't even look twice at a Muggle, despite what Hermione was telling me about him....

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Hermione woke up the next morning as her cousin entered her room, holding a steaming mug of black coffee and a stack of printed paper. "I found something for you to read. Wake up, Hermione. Drink coffee. Or maybe not in that particular order," Alana said cheerfully.

Hermione groaned. How on earth anyone could be in such a good mood before having coffee and some time to wake up in peace was beyond her. "Alana! Leave me alone! Imposing a good mood on anyone who had less than enough sleep and before coffee should be illegal," she snarled at her cousin.

Alana laughed at her cousin. "I'm going, I'm going! Just... read this," she dropped the thick stack of papers on the nightstand, "I promise you'll find it very interesting," she said smugly before exiting the room.

Hermione enjoyed the blissful silence while sipping her coffee, glad that her buoyant cousin had exited so quickly. She glanced at the papers beside her and curiosity got the better of her so she decided to have a look.

Chapter One

Things as they are---

Hermione rolled her eyes. Oh no... she didn't print out one of her silly fan fictions for me to read... She let her eyes fly over the first page and caught snippets such as Harry, Hogwarts, Voldemort, Snape downright poisonous, cauldron exploded. So. It must be some fan fiction, Hermione sighed inwardly. No way am I going to read that! Alana should know me better than to assume I'd waste my time reading silly stuff like this!

She was about to discard the script when one sentence grabbed her attention.

And in the middle of all this sat Hermione. Neither flesh nor fowl nor good red herring.

Hermione decided it would do no harm to read a little bit of this story. After all, it was the summer holidays and she had spent a great deal the previous evening and night studying, never mind applying her knowledge of Ancient Runes in the last couple of days.

So Hermione delved into her first fan fiction and quickly forgot about the world around her.

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"Hermione!" Aunt Amelia called from far away. Hermione slowly came out of her fan fiction world. "Hermione! Aren't you coming out of your room today? Are you not feeling well?"

The door opened and her aunt gave her a scrutinizing look. "Ah. You don't seem to be ill. What are you reading that's so interesting?" She came closer to see what her niece was so engrossed in. When she saw it was a computer printout she started to laugh. "Oh, it's not fan fiction you're getting into, is it?" Hermione had the grace to look guilty, which evoked more laughter from her aunt. "Oh, don't worry, dear. We're all into it. Well, I like to read the ones about Snape pairing up with either Hermione or an original character, and Alana might not admit it, but I know for a fact that she reads all the stories that involve Draco Malfoy!" Hermione gave her an incredulous look, but before she got a word in, her aunt continued chatting. "Isn't it funny that you have such a rare name, and now the Harry Potter books have made your name all famous! I bet nobody teases you about your name these days!" All Hermione could do was nod.

"You mean there are more stories about Snape and Hermione?" She utilized Aunt Amelia's need for taking a breath to ask this question.

"Oh yes, there are loads around! I like them because the majority of these stories are very well written, you know. A lot of others leave much to be desired where the writing quality is concerned... So, which one are you reading?"

"It's called 'Ordinary People', by someone called Hayseed," Hermione replied, then added, "it's rather well written, I have to say."

"Oh, I love that story! Whereabouts have you reached?" Aunt Amelia was very enthusiastic about the subject at hand, Hermione noted wryly.

"I'm just reading where she suggests to him to apologize and that he should treat her as an equal rather than a child, since it's her reputation that is at stake and not his," Hermione replied, getting impatient with her aunt. She wanted to continue reading to find out the outcome. All the interaction between her own character and Snape was rather intriguing, and she was curious how the author was going to conclude the story. She also wondered if the author knew Professor Snape personally. She was describing him very detailed, and very correctly from what Hermione knew of her Potions professor.

Thankfully, Aunt Amelia's curiosity was satisfied and her worry about her niece was laid to rest. She left Hermione's room after reminding her to eat something and Hermione returned to 'Ordinary People'.

She snorted at the thought of Snape telling her she looks beautiful. Nope, that's not like him at all. He might tell some woman, but he probably would prefer a round of Crucio from Voldemort's own hand before he tells me I'm beautiful... Besides, I'm not. Hayseed got that one right... She sighed wistfully and her thoughts wandered for a moment to her nonexistent love life before she chided herself. Get real, Granger, it's not as if there's anyone at Hogwarts who would even remotely meet your expectations! Then she turned back to read the rest of 'Ordinary People'.

The story left Hermione strangely content. She could absolutely not imagine ever having a relationship with Professor Snape, nor could she picture herself demanding him to treat her as an equal, but all in all, the characters were depicted just as they were in real life and the story was written beautifully.

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A/N

"Remitto Sermo", Latin, 'send back talk'

"Investisieve" is very similar to a Pensieve, except that instead of memories, it shows the scenes of the person who is being tracked with the Remitto Sermo charm.

Hayseed kindly gave me permission to let Hermione read Ordinary People. If you've not read this brilliantly written, beautiful story, go read now. http://www.obscurusbooks.org/html/Hayseed/OrdinaryPeople/index.html

As usual, big thanks to Tatiana who beta-reads this story for me and not only reins in the over-zealous use of commas, but also makes sure that the plot runs along without any holes.