And Now We Plan

Thank you to everyone who is still keeping up with this story. I appreciate all of your wonderful comments and your encouragement.

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Thank you to June for all of her help and suggestions.

Chapter 10 – And now we plan

Back at Snape's home in Spinner's End, Severus sat in the small library on a large green leather chair facing the fireplace. He'd been staring into the flames since Lucius left. He'd been sitting alone for almost an hour, since Albus had contacted Arthur, Harry, Draco and a few other members of the Order from the living room Floo.

"Severus," called Albus from the door.

The dark man turned slowly.

"Yes, Albus?" he asked quietly.

"They're here. We should begin." Albus waited for Severus and they walked to the living room together.

Lucius had returned and sat on the couch along with Draco and Harry. Arthur and Remus had taken a few chairs from the dining room and moved them into the living room. Tonks stood behind Remus, and Kingsley Shacklebolt stood next to the fireplace. They'd already been informed that Severus had woken from his coma, and all had paid him visits during the last several weeks. Everyone present, save for Lucius and Albus, wondered why they'd been summoned at such a late hour.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice and at this late an hour," said Albus as he looked around the room.

"You sounded quite serious, Albus," observed Arthur.

"This is indeed very serious." Albus sat down but Severus remained standing. "There is no other way to say this other than to just come right out with it. I am afraid that Voldemort has returned."

There were several quite audible gasps around the room.

"How? When?" shouted Harry as he stood.

"Harry, please, I must ask that you remain calm. This is no time for any of us to fly off the handle," said Lucius.

Draco took Harry by the arm and pulled him down on his spot next to him.

"He has been here... all this time he has been among us, and we only now realized it." Albus looked to Severus.

Immediately everyone's eyes fell on the dark-haired wizard.

"Severus? What have you to do with this?" asked Remus as he stood and approached Severus.

Severus sighed heavily and looked into his eyes.

"He has been inside of me all of these years I was in the coma, that's what I have to do with this," said Severus.

"We killed him," said Harry, again standing and now approaching Severus and Albus, "We saw him die."

"No, Harry. You know as well as I do that it is very easy to see the body perish, yet the soul may remain unseen, just as it happened the night your parents died. I believe that when Severus was found that day ten years ago in the Forbidden Forest, there was already a curse on him – one that would allow his body to receive Tom's soul upon the death of Tom's body."

Severus had spent much of his time in the library thinking back on the day he was tortured and left for dead. Like Poppy, he'd thought it was just a curse that caused the coma. Much to his horror, he knew now that he had company.

"This is like a nightmare," said Harry as he sat down heavily.

"You have no idea," affirmed Severus.

~*~

Back at Malfoy Manor, Ginny walked Hermione to her room.

As Hermione sat on her bed, she wondered about Ginny. The redhead had been oddly quiet tonight regarding Severus' possession. She'd experienced the same thing during her first year, and by the very thing that now occupied Severus' body along with him.

"Ginny, what was it like, when it happened to you?" asked Hermione.

Ginny had spent many years trying to forget the horror she'd felt when she realized Tom had been using her to do those horrible things. Not to mention the fact that her possession was due to the diary that her own husband had slipped into her cauldron while at Flourish & Blotts.

Ginny had never really spoken in depth to anyone about the time Tom Riddle had possessed her body. Not even to her husband, but then he never asked her. Lucius had always told her that if she ever felt the need to tell him he would listen, but if she wanted to keep that secret to herself he would understand. Now Hermione sat next to her on the edge of the bed, wanting to know what it was like. Perhaps, Ginny thought, it was finally time to talk about it. Maybe then she could bury Tom's memory.

"I honestly don't remember much, Hermione. But there were things...things I could see him do, but it wasn't him doing them. It was me. It was my body, my hands, my face I saw in the mirror. But I couldn't control myself. I remember when you first showed me a video camera. When I looked into the viewfinder, that's how it was, Hermione. Like I was looking at the world through a viewfinder." Ginny stood and walked to the window. The moon was bright and she could see the gardens below, glowing and glittering as the fireflies made their way around the bushes and flower beds. "I had no control. I carried him inside of me, feeling his evil coursing through my veins, not knowing when I would go to class one minute and turn up in my room the next. I lost so much time."

Ginny then turned and faced Hermione. "Sometimes I think that he never truly let go of his hold on me. Sometimes...sometimes I feel like he's still here. Like he's waiting to take me once and for all. I fear him still; I have nightmares." She walked towards the bed and sat down next to Hermione once again.

"Hate Tom, Hermione. Despise him; kill him over and over again in your mind. But don't blame Severus for what happened to you. It was no more his fault than it was mine for opening the Chamber of Secrets."

Hermione nodded. Ginny was right, Severus wasn't to blame. She knew that, she'd known it since Lucius came back from Severus' home and informed her that it wasn't him who had done those horrible things to her. Still, it wouldn't be easy seeing him. Would she feel Severus touching her and loving her, or would she see Voldemort raping her?

"I think we both need some sleep," said Ginny, looking at the clock on the nightstand. It was past one o'clock in the morning, and she was tired. The baby had been kicking ever since Lucius left, protesting that he or she hadn't gotten their nightly lullaby from their father.

Hermione tucked herself under the soft comforter. She thought on what Ginny had said to her and how she was feeling about Severus at that moment. The pain she'd felt earlier was something she hoped never to feel again. He had caused it – Voldemort, not Severus.

"Severus," she whispered as her body gave in to exhaustion.

~*~

Back at Severus' home, most of the Order members had already left with their assignments. Arthur would make use of the Ministry archives to see if there were any instances of such a thing happening in the past, of one wizard's soul inhabiting the body of another. Tonks, Kingsley and Remus would each make use of the library restricted sections in each of the wizarding schools in Europe. Albus went back to Hogwarts to pen a request for assistance from Madam Maxime of Beauxbatons. He also sent a request to Alexander Alkov, the current Headmaster of Durmstrang; their former headmaster Igor Karkaroff died in the final battle ten years earlier.

Harry and Draco stayed behind along with Lucius. Harry was curious about why Hermione wasn't there. She was the best person at research that he knew, and besides, she'd told Harry that Severus invited her to his home that weekend. During the meeting it was said that Lucius witnessed Severus' possession by Voldemort, and it seemed as though Hermione hadn't even been there at the house.

"Severus, I thought Hermione was going to be here this weekend," said Harry.

Lucius looked at Severus wondering how much of what happened that evening should they tell him.

Severus looked at Harry soberly.

"We didn't want the rest of the Order to know, but the fact is, Hermione was here earlier tonight. I...Voldemort almost killed her. She was able to get away and Apparate to Lucius' home."

Harry stiffened at how easily it would have been for Hermione to have been killed. He looked towards Lucius.

"She's all right, isn't she?" he asked frantically.

"Yes, Harry, she's fine. I left her with Ginny. Hermione will be staying with us for a while."

"We thought it best for her to stay away from the castle for a while," said Severus.

"That's a good idea," agreed Harry.

Draco took Harry by the hand.

"Maybe we can stop by the house tomorrow, and say hello," Draco told Harry, then turned questioningly towards his father.

"Of course, come by for lunch," said Lucius, hoping the two young men wouldn't come by any sooner. He would need to let Hermione know that nothing had been said about what really happened to her that evening.

The two young men nodded then left, deciding to Apparate instead of using Floo travel. They left Ron back at home taking care of Harry and Draco's new adopted baby, and they didn't want to take the chance that the two were waiting up for them near the fireplace in the living room. Once baby Godric woke up, it was hell to get him back to sleep again.

Lucius sat down on the couch and rubbed his weary eyes. Severus walked to the sideboard and poured both of them a brandy, then moved to the couch and joined the blond wizard.

"Now that I know he's inside of me, I may be able to figure out when he will try to possess me." Severus took a sip as he stared at the coffee table.

"Is there a way you can use your Legilimency skills, internally?" asked Lucius.

"I don't know. That's a skill used to read someone's thoughts outside your own head, not inside. But, I suppose I can try it. I need to know what he's planning and when he plans on doing it."

"There is one thing we need to do before anything else," said Lucius. "We need to know when it's you and when it's him. He's done a very good job so far skirting around us all. But he's made a few mistakes. There were moments, things you wouldn't normally say that he would say."

Severus turned to Lucius.

"Severus, he never knew that we deceived him by being spies. He thinks we were faithful to him, and that we still are. We all know what to look for now. It will be quite easy to differentiate you two."

"I would hope so," huffed Severus. He already felt bad enough about the evening's happenings. The last thing he wanted to hear was that nobody would be able to tell the difference between him and a mass-murdering racist wanker.

Lucius rolled his eyes. He knew that both Hermione and Severus had been through the wringer that evening. It was understandable that Severus would be a bit testy.

"Will you be staying here the rest of the weekend?" asked Lucius.

Severus shook his head. "No, somehow it's not the same now that...never mind." Severus was going to say that it wouldn't be the same if Hermione wasn't there with him at Spinner's End. After all, she was the one who had overseen most of the decorating and assisted in keeping the place looking like it was still being lived in.

Lucius looked at him thoughtfully, knowing what Severus had been about to say. But instead of saying something, he decided to let it go.

"Do you want me to stay or maybe accompany you to Hogwarts?"

"I'll be all right, Lucius. He can't cause any harm if he's alone in my home; he doesn't know my passwords. Besides, I think he will most likely seek out familiar faces, try to endear himself to those around me. I doubt he will try to harm anyone else, especially when he finds that Hermione is neither here or at the castle. I've no doubt he will be inquiring on her whereabouts."

"This is Voldemort we are talking about Severus." Lucius knew that his friend had to remember the danger the Dark Lord could cause, especially on his own.

"I know, but I believe that right now he is making preparations. He can't afford for anyone to be suspicious of me. He already made the mistake of harming Hermione. He will be more careful in the future."

"I need to make sure there are wards up around the estate. You know you will have to stay away from my house while Hermione is there, don't you?" asked Lucius.

Severus looked at Lucius. "If you see me there, you will know it isn't me."

They agreed to meet in the afternoon at Severus' rooms at Hogwarts, after Lucius researched a few books. Then Lucius left.

Severus walked up to his room and looked at the bed. He grimaced and walked back out. He couldn't bring himself to sleep in the same bed in which he'd – no, in which Voldemort had attacked Hermione. He would sleep in the guest room.

~*~

The next day Severus made his way back to his rooms at Hogwarts. The first thing he did after unpacking was go to Albus' office to let him know he was back. The two men sat in the Headmaster's office pouring over some of Albus' oldest and rarest spell books. While the Hogwarts library held many ancient tomes that might help in finding a way to get Voldemort out of Severus' body without harming the Potions Master, someone had already taken up that task. Remus was currently holed up in the Restricted Section of the library.

As the day wore on and the afternoon sun was moving across the sky, Harry and Draco decided to visit Hermione after lunch. They left baby Godric with Molly, while Ron helped Arthur comb through some of the Ministry Archives. The elder Weasley had been Minister of Magic now for over eight years and thus had privileges not held by many other wizards or witches, even those who worked at the Ministry. He had free reign in every department. One good thing was that Arthur, unlike some of his predecessors, didn't abuse this privilege. Arthur would go into the Department of Mysteries and bring out scrolls to a small desk just outside the entrance, all in the open. He and Ron would search through them and make notes, and then Arthur would go back for more.

~*~

At the Malfoy home, Lucius was gone, having slept only a few hours. He'd left early to go to his other home in France, where he knew of several old books that might help Severus. But first, Lucius had informed his wife and Hermione of all that was said at the Order meeting, telling Hermione to keep on guard because Severus was not allowed at Malfoy Manor. She appreciated the fact that the other members weren't aware of the whole story, only Albus. Still, it had been an uneasy night, and neither she nor Ginny had slept enough hours, so they tried to go back to sleep after Lucius left.

The house-elf woke them only after Harry and Draco arrived. The men waited in the living room for Ginny and Hermione. Both women came down wearing housecoats. It was obvious they'd only just woke up.

"Don't tell me you two were still sleeping?" asked Harry, trying to sound cheery.

Hermione and Ginny smiled.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Ginny.

"Can't we pay our two favorite ladies a visit?" chided Draco.

Ginny rolled her eyes and swatted him in the shoulder playfully. Draco and Ginny had briefly dated after she graduated from Hogwarts. That was when both he and Harry were still trying to figure out that they liked one another. She had a good relationship with her stepson and often liked to spend an entire day shopping with him in Muggle London.

"Have you had lunch?" asked Ginny.

"We actually had a late breakfast," said Harry. He then looked towards Hermione who hadn't yet looked him straight in the eye. "Hermione, I was hoping maybe we could talk for a few minutes."

Hermione looked at him then looked to Ginny. She knew that Harry would try to find out what really happened, but there was no way she would ever be able to tell him. Not so much because she knew that he would immediately blame Severus, even though Severus had no part of what happened other than his body being there. But this was something she just felt she needed to keep from Harry. There was no need for him to know all the details. It happened and nothing Harry could do or say would take away the feeling of disgust she felt at that moment.

"All right, Harry. Let's go into the study then." Hermione walked towards the study with Harry following her.

Draco and Ginny stayed behind looking worried.

"I don't want to pry, but there's more to what happened at Severus' home than we were told, isn't there?" he asked.

Ginny smiled sadly and wove her arm around his. "Why don't you come to the kitchen with me? You can watch me eat a peanut butter and ham and cheese sandwich."

Draco crinkled his nose as he walked with her to the kitchen, knowing she'd told him all he needed to know. The subject was closed.

In the study, Harry sat on the couch, as Hermione sat across from him in Lucius' favorite leather chair.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Hermione.

Harry studied her. She looked relaxed, but he didn't know that she'd taken a calming potion as soon as she woke up, when she felt herself still a bit on edge.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Severus told us that Voldemort tried to kill you through him."

"He did, but I was able to get away. I...I was walking to my room and had my wand in my hand. When I noticed Severus acting odd I made sure to keep a distance from him. As soon as...as Voldemort possessed him, he chased after me and...well, I ran for my life."

Hermione's eyes were moving from Harry to the cushion next to him. She hoped he didn't notice but he did. After being her friend since they were children he knew that she wasn't a very good liar.

"Is that all that happened? He chased after you?" asked Harry incredulously.

She then gave him a look he'd also came to know during their friendship. It was the "don't question me" look.

"Yes, Harry, that's what happened. If you came here to annoy me then you shouldn't have bothered coming." She rose and started for the door.

Harry stood quickly and caught her before she ran out of the room.

"I'm sorry, please, Hermione. Look, it's just, well; I want you to know that if you need to talk about anything, you know you can come to me, okay?" He'd hoped he hadn't offended her or angered her with his suspicions. That was one of Harry's faults; he was a very suspicious person. But he had every reason to be. There had been so much kept from him when he was growing up, it was natural for him to question everything.

"I know you're just being protective, Harry. But really, I'm fine." She hugged him and they went off in search for Draco and Ginny.

The two young men were only there for less than an hour and quickly went off on their way. As they walked toward the door, Draco and Ginny went ahead of them. Harry stopped for a moment and turned towards Hermione.

Hermione looked at her friend and smiled. "Run along now, Harry. Draco is waiting for you. I'm fine, I promise."

Harry kissed her on the cheek, and then walked outside.

Draco was saying goodbye to Ginny as he looked and saw his lover approaching.

"Ready?" asked Draco.

Harry nodded, then kissed Ginny on the cheek. He and Draco turned to leave. As they walked to the edge of the property Draco noticed Harry being pensive.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I think there's something Hermione is not telling me. Voldemort did more than just try to kill her," said Harry.

Draco stopped, then took Harry by the arm and turned him towards him.

"Leave it be, Harry. Hermione is a grown woman, and she's allowed secrets of her own. Whatever happened, it's her business, and she is dealing with it the way she sees fit. We can't always know everything about those we love. There has to be something we can keep to ourselves."

"But..." Harry protested.

"No, Harry. Whatever it is you think she might be keeping from you, she's not telling you for a reason. How would you feel if our friends and family insisted on knowing every detail about our lives?"

Harry averted his eyes. He knew that Draco was right. Whatever happened was something Hermione didn't want him to know, for her own reasons. He would allow her her privacy, just as she had always allowed him his.

"You're right."

Hand-in-hand, they walked past the gates of the Malfoy estate and Apparated home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Some of you might have wondered why Severus believed Voldemort to be harmless alone. It's not so much he believes him harmless, but as I explained, the last thing he needs is to call attention to himself, and he's already made that mistake. A mistake he will have to figure out how to correct.

There wasn't too much action here, mostly planning and talking, but I think chapters like this are needed sometimes.

I hope you enjoyed this. Thank you for reading.