The Pawn

~o0o~

The large room was once used for formal balls and parties. Now the Dark Lord used this room as his personal throne room. He sat in a chair set strategically across the large room next to the Floo, with Nagini coiled around a large stand at his side, when Severus entered, followed closely by Narcissa, who walked stoically behind him with the practiced grace of a woman used to looking calm and serene. They both knelt, Severus rising first, and he walked over to the Dark Lord and calmly produced the samples of his newest creations on the nearest table.

"And how does your apprentice fare, Severus?" the Dark Lord asked, turning the vial of pale, lime green poison in his hand, inspecting the iridescent liquid. The new poisons and potions that contained Nagini's venom and scales pleased the Dark Lord immensely. Severus had carefully pushed and locked away his memories of the antidotes he'd concocted to all the new potions deep into his subconscious.

Narcissa's eyes followed Severus in anticipation of his response as Severus stood before the Dark Lord. "He does well. He still progresses within my anticipated expectations," Severus stated. He heard Narcissa exhale and smiled inwardly. If you only knew how much more talent Miss Granger has than your precious son... that all through her years at Hogwarts, Miss Granger exceeded Draco's skills in every task I set her – perspicaciously. Exceeding my expectations and advancing faster than Draco ever has – even now that he's under my personal tutelage. I know that her talent is far greater than his, he sneered mentally, then controlled his thoughts in case the Dark Lord invaded his mind.

The Dark Lord nodded and smiled. "And these, which ones were made by Draco?" he asked. Narcissa's gaze fell to the vials on the table.

"Half," Severus replied. "The ones he brewed are labeled in his own hand." The Dark Lord rose and walked to Severus's left and set the vial on a small table with the others Severus had brought; twenty-three potions in all, twelve presumably created by Draco. And actually half of those were produced – the more advanced ones – with Miss Granger's assistance, he silently added to himself. If he could have admitted the truth, he would have preferred to have her as his apprentice instead of Draco. Admonishing himself, Severus pushed any thoughts of Hermione from his mind.

Narcissa looked up at the Dark Lord, her usually cool eyes, pleading. "My lord, if he..."

"Silence," the Dark Lord interrupted her harshly. "I'll speak with you later."

"As you wish," she answered, bowing her head to hide her anguish.

You're lucky he didn't curse you, Severus thought ruefully, watching her.

"And what of your little Muggle-born, Hermione Granger?" the Dark Lord asked, turning his attention back to Severus.

He didn't need to answer due to the familiar sensation of the tendril-like grip that reached into his mind. Severus pulled fragments of memories forward in a pre-considered, pre-selected pattern, showing his winning Hermione over to him: carrying the girl to his bedroom and placing her on his bed, them working together in his potions lab. He fabricated an image of sitting next to her on the couch in the sitting room, reading, then allowed an image of waking her with a gentle touch on her cheek and one of watching her as she bathed. There were several flashes of Hermione bathing, so he directed his thoughts to when Hermione was tending to his last wound. The Dark Lord found the memory of Hermione washing him in the shower, and Severus redirected his thoughts again to images of sleeping with her in his arms and finally the kiss...

"Very well, Severus. It seems that your little paramour is ready to be brought to me. You may rise, my friend."

"It will be as you wish, my Lord," he said with a carefully injected subtle hint of hesitation.

The effect had the anticipated reaction he'd intended. "You don't think she's ready, Severus?" the Dark Lord asked.

"She's a Gryffindor and still willful," he said simply. "While I believe that I'm gaining her trust – she still has a great fear of you. She is after all – a Muggle-born and was one of Dumbledore's pets. That – and she believes that you intend to kill her..." No wonder why... she'd expect to be ravaged, cursed or tortured again. "Or you'd allow her to be thrown to your followers again. The few times she's encountered Death Eaters collectively have been rather – traumatic. The three that come quickly to mind were the Quidditch World cup, the Department of Mysteries and the glade."

The Dark Lord stood silently for several heartbeats then laughed. "Touché, Severus, you have a point. Still..." He walked past Severus and stood next to Nagini, watching the snake sleep. "I expect her to be difficult, to have preconceived notions about me. That is expected. However, perceptions can be changed, loyalties can be swayed... I will have to persuade her that I accept her – alter her preconceived opinions. If not, then simply make it appear that she's converted – come around to reason... I want to see her by the end of the week, Severus. I have plans for her," the Dark Lord stated. "Bring her before me."

~o0o~

Hermione sat at a desk Snape had transfigured out of the heavy oak coffee table in the room across from the dining room (Draco teasingly called the classroom) and down the hall from potions lab. She had thirteen books, either stacked with multiple page-markers or lying open to various pages on the desk as she scanned through them, scrutinizing each page of potion directions and ingredient lists for the answers to the questions she and Draco were to solve. Draco sat across from her with one book on his lap, his feet perched on the corner of the desk. "I don't see anything in any of these," he complained. Four of the books sat next to Draco, ones he'd already searched through.

Several of the books contained potions that Hermione knew were on the Ministry's restricted list, and a few that Snape had allowed her to take contained Dark Arts potions. All the books were N.E.W.T. level or simply classified as advanced. She had been excited as Snape watched amusedly while she'd pulled down all the books she'd wanted to peruse for the questions. Secretly, she wished that she could give a few of the potions a try, just to see if she could brew them.

"He wouldn't have given us the question if there wasn't an answer," Hermione said as she turned the page in the book on her immediate right. She exchanged two books, checking again for potions with venom and toxins looking for mention of a lizard from the venom clade. The question specified 'beneficial potions,' so anything considered dark, wouldn't apply. "Here it is! Introduce the lizard venom – the Mexican Beaded Lizard venom is listed in this potion to sustain glucose levels for diabetic patients." Flipping several more pages, she exclaimed, "Oh, and here it is again in this weight loss potion..." She switched books, and she turned the page and looked up excited. "Got it! The Gila Monster is listed in this Anti-Leg-Swelling potion."

"Gila Monster? Mexican Beaded...? Never heard of them," Draco sneered.

"They're large lizards, both from the territories of Northern Mexico and the southwestern United States..." she said as she made her notations on her parchment. "I saw them in the zoo once."

"Why do I care about a lizard that lives on the other side of the world?" Draco said disdainfully.

"Because with airplanes and ships we can get these lizards here," she said, writing down the references. She closed the last book, swapping it for another. "So that's six – with Helminer's High-Blood Pressure Potion, Tugwood's Pimple Cream, Unernell's Anti-Inflammatory Salve, and these three potions for treatments related to diabetes," she said, touching her finger to three different books. Draco merely huffed. "So, have you listed ten potions that combine poisonous common garden botanicals in conjunction with cobra venoms for beneficial draughts?"

"Yes, Granger, I have all ten," Draco said with a smirk, and Hermione glared back at him. "What's next?"

"List and explain the interaction properties of the common botanicals when combined with both leech juices and snake venom as used in the eight potions he gave us... and you have that, right?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, and we got all fifty-three listed." He passed her his parchment and set the book down on the desk with a thud.

Hermione ignored the smirk on his face. "Indicate the active differences of runespoor venom when extracted from each of the three heads: the planner, dreamer, and critic and denote their properties when used in Mind-Altering Potions ..." she read aloud off her parchment. "We already got that one..." Hermione glanced at his list, then sat back and crossed her arms, grinning.

Draco unlaced his fingers from behind his head and sat up. "What?"

"We're done," she said, smiling. Draco reached over and grabbed her parchment to verify her statement as Hermione carefully closed and stacked the books to return them to the sitting room shelves. She picked up half and headed for the door. Sighing, Draco lifted five of the remaining books and followed her. "Oh, don't strain yourself," she chided him.

He scowled and retrieved the remaining two books. "So, now I suppose you want to read," he said sarcastically as he led the way into the sitting room.

Wormtail looked up from the chaise as she followed him into the room. "Um... not especially... I think I might – go back and..."

"Give it a rest, Granger," Draco snapped as they started returning the books to the shelves. "Pick a book."

"You could stay here if you like," Wormtail said, his eyes riveted on Hermione. "I wouldn't mind..."

"Yeah, right, Rat. I believe Severus said quite clearly that you were not to be in the same room with her unless he was home. He's not home and I don't trust you. Pick a book, Granger. We'll go to the classroom, and you can ask me some more questions." She gave him a sharp glare and selected a thick book, The Secret Arts of Charms, and then pulled down Ancient Wizardry of the Dark Ages.

"The Dark Lord said I was to help train you," Wormtail sniveled.

Draco rounded on him, his wand pointed at Wormtail lazily. "And what, pray tell, could I learn from you that Severus can't teach me?"

Hermione looked slyly at Draco to see if he was paying attention to which books she selected and took down an old looking tome, Intrinsic and Inherent Power and Potential Magic, and a thin untitled book next to it.

"Aren't you ready, or are you going to take half the shelf again?" he asked, holding his large Dark Arts tome and opening the hidden door. "Let's go back to the classroom, Granger, shall we?" Draco sneered sarcastically.

"Yes," she replied, turning to leave the room quickly, hoping the sneer was for Wormtail and not her. She nearly collided with Snape as she sprinted to the room next to the potions lab.

"Draco, your mother would like you to visit for the rest of the week," Snape said, easily side-stepping Hermione. Draco looked up suspiciously. "We're caught up on the potions requested by the Dark Lord, and I'm nearly done with my current requirements. However, if you don't wish to go, you can always select seventeen of the potions off the questions I gave you to fill in the time."

"Ah, no, sir, I just thought that... I'll go pack," Draco stammered and hurried up to his room.

"Peren," Snape called out, and the elf came running from the kitchen. "Take Miss Granger's books to our room." He turned to Hermione and looked at her thoughtfully, his gaze stern. "Follow me."

Hermione handed her books to Peren, whispering, "Thank you," and apprehensively followed Snape into the potions lab.

Once inside Snape loomed over her, staring down at her appraisingly. "For the next five days you will be brewing several potions with me. I expect your work to be of exemplary quality, or I will be displeased." He looked down at her curiously and crossed his arms as she smiled, then smirked when she tried to school her face back into something impassive.

"Yes, sir," she said, pursing her lips to keep the corners of her mouth from stretching into a smile.

His lip curled into a smirk as he watched her struggle to keep from showing her pleasure. "Go retrieve the potion cards Draco left on the desk yesterday. I'm sure he asked you to file them for him. Then set up six cauldrons. I will tell you which four we are doing this afternoon, and you will collect all the ingredients needed," he said gruffly. "I will allow you to ask relevant questions regarding steps, timing, ingredients, or the brewing process of these potions – only. No questions about why or anything irrelevant. There will be no idyll chatter of any nature. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," she said eagerly and hurried to collect the potion directions to get started.

*

That afternoon, Severus sat at the desk and momentarily watched Hermione as she stirred the potion in front of her twenty times, then added a counter-clockwise stir. He silently counted fifteen seconds and watched as she lifted her arm at the precise moment that he ended his count. Twenty turns – one per second... counter-clockwise... He counted off the seconds as he watched her. Her movements nearly coincided with his count. She made one clockwise stir before setting the long-handled spoon on the spoon rest. He bent back to the note he was writing.

She is well. She will face the Dark Lord at the end of the week. She will be unharmed. Northumberland occupied. Look within the Ministry heads. The law is not on your side.

He rose just after she made the third counter-clockwise turn with the long potions spoon, and he walked over to check the color, making no comment or indication to her at all. He turned, amused at her expectant expression, knowing that she anticipated some acknowledgement of her achievement. He smiled inwardly, made the slightest of nods and turned to leave, missing the slightly crestfallen look on her face when he simply left the room. Acceptable – actually more than acceptable... She exceeds Draco with each one. All my years of teaching has demonstrated one unequivocal, undeniable fact that just cannot be dismissed. Blood doesn't matter. Strength, intelligence, knowledge, skill – that's what really matters. Some of the most inane, imbecilic, incompetent, and inept dunderheads came from pureblood families. Most recently Longbottom, Flint, Crabbe and Goyle, who are all prime examples, while Muggles produce witches like her – and like Lily.... If they only knew – if they only pulled their heads out of their collective arses...

His dark-spotted eagle owl hooted softly as he entered his room. "I have a delivery for you. You know who. Don't be seen," he said softly to the owl. He pulled a chicken heart from his pocket and offered it, pleased with how delicately his owl ate the small gift. He tied the note to the offered foot and gently stroked the soft feathers. The owl hopped onto his arm and hooted in thanks as Severus carried him to the window. The window flew open with a flick of his hand, and his owl lifted from his arm and flew off. He stared out of the window, deep in thought. She works tirelessly simply because I tell her to. I have only five days to recreate all the potions Draco and I have created in two weeks. Still, since she helped Draco with the first round, it will be easier – advantageous – the repetitive steps familiar... He closed the window with a curl of his hand, absentmindedly turning, and his gaze fell on her side of his bed. No, without having the distractions of Draco's other lessons, we should be able to accomplish this. Too bad Draco wasn't allowed to visit longer. The extra time would have been preferable...

That night Severus escorted Hermione to his room as usual, but guided her across the room to the chair by the window. A fire danced in the grate and two glasses of amber liquid sat on a small table. "Sit," he said, indicating the chair, "and hold your tongue. I have something to tell you, and you are to listen." Hermione looked up at him, her warm, brown eyes full of trust. Damn, just tell her – she will have to come to terms about this quickly... "I have been instructed to present you before the Dark Lord by the end of the week."

"But why?" Hermione asked at once, jumping from the chair, frightened. "He'll..."

"He will not. He will not let any harm befall you," Severus stated, taking hold of her shoulder and easily pushing her back into the chair. "The Dark Lord has plans to use you." His lips twitched as she stared up at him bewildered. "Come now, Miss Granger, think," he sneered at her lack of comprehension. "He feels that you are useful to him and wants to exploit that."

Her brows crinkled in confusion. Snape stood directly in front of her, looking down at her with his arms crossed. "Use me – how? Besides information on Harry or on the Order – which I don't really have – what does he think I can tell him? Unless... he's using me to break Harry's concentration and focus, if he's worried for me... If he thinks I've switched sides on him – he'd be really hurt."

"Very good, Miss Granger, the Dark Lord will probe your mind for information regarding Potter, yes, although I seriously doubt he'll question you about the Order," he said, staring fixedly at her. "I'm to persuade you to join us – him – alter your preconceived opinions." She squirmed in discomfort and shook her head, looking up at him imploringly, and he regretted the position he'd been thrust into with her. "If not, then I'm simply to make it appear that you've converted – accepted me and came around to reason... implied perception..."

"No!" she exclaimed and stood abruptly again, and his hands automatically clasped her shoulders to keep from being knocked backwards as her body collided with his. "I'll never..."

He held her firmly. "Yes, Miss Granger, you most certainly will." He leaned down and kissed her, claiming her mouth possessively, silencing all her protests. She tried to push away from him, but he held her firmly, his tongue teasing her lips as he kissed her. Come on, Hermione, give into me – like before. She tried to pull away again, and he cupped the back of her head with one hand while the other wrapped around her back, pressing her into him. No. She struggled briefly in his grasp, her hands pressed against his chest, but she was definitely kissing him back. He smiled. Yes. Severus relaxed a fraction, allowing his kiss to be more passionate, moving his lips sensually across hers, sucking on her lower lip and releasing it slowly.

She stiffened, but her hands wandered slightly on his chest. Her mouth opened slightly, and he flicked his tongue on the edge of her front teeth and along her upper lip and then kissed her, sliding his lower lip against her upper lip before claiming her mouth again. She shivered, and the hand that crushed her to him relaxed, sliding down to her lower back as he cupped her head gently with the other. He now held her lower body pressed against his, his groin slightly higher than hers, but the effect was the same. She gasped as she felt his stiff penis pressing to her. He lightened his grip on her head, his fingers slowly sliding through her hair, although he didn't remove his hand altogether, and he felt her relax against him. He liked the feel of her hair between his fingers as he stroked the silky curls while he sensually teased her lips. Hermione moaned softly. So, I'm not abhorrent to her after all.... He allowed himself to take pleasure in kissing her, teasing her with his tongue and lips. Slowly, he slid both of his hands to her arms and then stopped abruptly, dropping her back into the chair.

She fell back, her expression changing with her thoughts: first dazed, confusion warring with uncertainty, then becoming flustered, to angry, which quickly changed to indignant fury, and then her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, all under his watchful stare. His lips twitched in a slight smile as he watched her reactions and waited. Just as I expected, blatantly expressive...

"Your face is an open book, Miss Granger. You can barely control your expressions, so I seriously doubt that you'll be able control your mind against him. As to your second question, yes, Miss Granger, the Dark Lord still wants me to either hand fast with you or magically bind you to me. Do not forget your situation – the one you put yourself into. You are now under his discretion. This means that the next time I'm summoned to him, as my consort, you will accompany me. Your mind will be probed by the second best Legilimens I know – the first having been Dumbledore. Therefore, you will need to learn how to protect your mind," he said as he watched the emotions war across her face. "Do keep this in mind; how you act – how you behave – even what you say will determine if he lets you live."

Hermione visibly paled. "I can't – I don't know how to do Occlumency," she stated, staring at him in disbelief. "Harry wasn't able to do it, and Professor Lupin and Mr. Moody didn't have the time...."

Severus exhaled in annoyance. "Hardly surprising. Potter was incompetent; Lupin has adequate skills with Legilimency, but hardly sufficiently skilled at Occlumency. Moody would have been your better bet." Hermione glared at him, then looked surprised, and then cringed slightly in reaction to how he'd assessed the talents of her friends. She's too open and trusting – completely expressive... hardly promising. The Dark Lord won't need Legilimency – he could simply read her expressions and body language.

"So, you are going to teach me Occlumency?" she asked, and her eyes widened in anticipation. "I mean I would like to learn how to..."

"Obviously," he said, his expression soft. "I just read your every thought just by watching your face." He looked at her thoughtfully and then amended his statement. "I seriously doubt your mind will be difficult to plunder."

She bristled visibly. "There are some memories that are private..."

"They won't be to me," he stated smugly. Her eyes narrowed contemplatively. "I'm going to use Legilimency on you. You are to try to mentally push me out of your mind or to push me away from what you don't want me to see. You do this the same way you tried to fight the Imperius Curse in Knockturn Alley. It's similar. However, you will be unable to do so." He watched her bristly visibly at his insult.

This will be interesting... He stared intently at her, catching her gaze. "Legilimens," he said softly and immediately had access to her thoughts. A jumble of memories flashed until he grasped onto one and saw himself standing over her in the bedroom and felt her fear of him, and then the memory changed to that of seeing him standing in the doorway of the loo, leaning against the doorframe as she bathed. Surprisingly, he felt not only her embarrassment and shame but also a sense of... anticipation. Obviously embarrassed, Hermione pulled a childhood memory of playing with a kitten in a front garden.

He let the memory drop, and he followed her memories, searching for ones about him and saw several of himself at the worktable in his potions lab as she stared at him with feelings of awe, curiosity, respect and wonder. He searched and found a memory of her waking up, curled next to him in bed, and the embarrassment she felt before she rolled away. She tried to push forward a remembrance of handing in her potion after class, but Severus pulled another memory of her waking up to see himself propped up on his arm watching her. He smiled inwardly as he found the memory of when he'd washed her hair and was amused at her dreamy desire to have his hands massage her entire body. My, my... that's interesting. Hermione tried several times to push that memory away and finally managed to shift the image to his ministrations of her bruises. Severus watched her version of his treatment and smirked, then chose another morning when he was watching her as she awoke and sensed her feeling of anticipation that he might lean down and kiss her. Again – promising...

Hermione changed the image, and her memory from three nights previous when she sat next to him on the sofa in the sitting room came into focus. She had felt safe and content – almost happy. Interesting... He found the image she'd created in her mind of the two of them in the bathtub, her body leaning against his, the romantic delusion of his hands caressing her skin, and Hermione again tried to control her thoughts, and another image of watching him at the worktable brewing potions came into focus. Her attention was again on him as she stirred her potion. Infatuation, curiosity, respect... he mused, reading the emotions associated with this memory. He broke contact. So I intrigue her...

"How dare you... How could you!" she began to protest loudly, obviously feeling violated when the contact broke.

"I suggest you try concentrating on something benign," he said, ignoring her protests altogether. "Maybe something about Potter? Legilimens," he said, quickly forcing the connection. He saw Hermione helping Harry learn the Summoning Charm, then Ginny Weasley brushing her hair as they talked about Ron and Harry. He could feel her bristle, even squirm. Severus focused on finding another memory of Potter and saw the trio sitting in the library at Grimmuald Place practicing hexes and jinxes against each other, which faded as Hermione switched it to being bitten by a doxy in the sitting room. Severus pushed again for memories of Potter and saw Potter sitting on a rock, crying and shouting, 'He was their friend and he betrayed them.' The scene fogged, and she changed it to a memory of the trio sitting in the Three Broomsticks drinking butterbeers. With an inward chuckle, he pushed and found an image of Potter giving directions on how to do the Stunning Hex to a bunch of students, which she changed to the trio in their common room, Harry losing at wizard chess to Ron Weasley while Hermione sat next to them reading. Severus smiled inwardly, pulled at the memory of Potter teaching again, and saw Potter once again teaching hexes in a large classroom, surrounded by other students. Severus felt Hermione push him back. She was ineffectual but managed to divert the image to one of shopping with her friends in Honeydukes Sweet shop.

Severus broke contact and crossed his arms, contemplating his assault on her memories. "Well, Miss Granger, it seems that you at least have a talent for directing your thoughts," he said, amused. "We will begin there."

She looked at him hopefully. "Will that be enough, if I just..."

Severus's lip curled up slightly. "No. Hardly. Nevertheless, it will amuse the Dark Lord – make you a bit of a challenge. For the next five nights, we will strengthen your ability to refocus and redirect your thoughts, to trade one thought for another. For now that's all we can hope for – unless you surprise me and prove to be a competent Occlumens. In time you may be able to put fragments of memories together to create false memories, but we shall focus on that at another time. You need to grasp the basics first." He watched as she considered his words. "Shall we try again? Legilimens," he said before she could resist.

~o0o~

Hermione sat crossed-legged on the floor carefully copying the symbols and runes on groups of vials and bottles in the box before her. She was just finishing the last label of bottles and vials that still sat on the floor by her foot. It had been a grueling five days, and Snape had kept them busy in his potions lab nearly every minute of it with the only exception of the last hour before bed when he instructed her in Occlumency and her evening bathing, although he'd used her bath time on three occasions for Occlumency lessons as well.

Done, Hermione carefully added the dark brown glass bottle to the box next to her, adjusting the packing material and picked up a red vial by her left foot. Another box, already full of various potions, antidotes, salves, draughts and elixirs sat ready to be padded and sealed for delivery. Two more boxes sat on the desk already packed and sealed, ready to go.

Oddly, those boxes held the same potions as the ones Hermione was labeling; only Snape had carefully written out those labels instead of using coded runes. Snape had snapped at her for asking about the use of the runes on the labels instead of clearly writing out the contents, curtly refusing to elaborate.

Still she knew which of the potions she was labeling were questionably legal at best, and she easily identified the potions that were illegal and which were definitely on the Ministry's Restricted-and-Controlled list. Several of the potions they'd made she knew were on the Ministry's contraband list and had not been in any book at Hogwarts that she knew of, and a few of the potions she knew could only found in the Restricted Section at school. However, there were also ones from Snape's personal library, and she doubted that the Ministry knew about them.

Snape stood at the sink ladling the final potion into small ceramic jars. "Miss Granger, are you finished yet?" he asked.

"I have twenty to do yet, Professor," she replied. She bit her lip as she checked his list to determine which symbols and runes to write on the label of the red vial.

He turned slowly, crossed his arms as he leaned against the sink, and watched her a moment. His posture was a little stiffer than usual, appearing to be contemplating something, and then seemed to come to a conclusion. "You shall address me as either master or sir while here in my home, considering our current arrangements," he said abruptly.

"Sir?" she asked, caught off guard by his statement. She looked up at him, not comprehending. "Pardon... I..."

"I am no longer your professor," Snape cut her off as he looked down at her with a bored expression, then turned and collected his potions. "It's inappropriate to continue with the appellation while you are here." He turned away from her before she could comment to put half of the jars in his own stock shelves and carried the remaining jars over to the boxes Hermione was filling. He checked several of her labels and then rose, giving her an incomprehensible stare. "You are going to accompany me today," he said nonchalantly. "I have an appointment at precisely eleven minutes after three today, and I cannot be one minute late."

"You want me to accompany you?" she asked, stunned. I'm getting out! He's taking me of the house?

"Yes, Miss Granger, you are accompanying me. I cannot leave you alone in the house," he stated, annoyed. He levitated the full box up onto the desk, adjusted the packing material, and sealed the box. "Stay here and finish. Do not touch or move anything – if you do, I will know. I shall return in a moment."

Hermione kept her eyes focused on her task, her mind reeling over his sudden announcement. Diagon Alley? More likely Knockturn Alley – but still I might see friends – or someone who knows me... If I could just make my Galleon work, I could send Harry and Ron notice.

Snape returned as she finished the last vial. "Stand up, Miss Granger. Put on your robe and cloak." He handed her the garments and thrust her boots at her. She dressed, slipped her feet out of Snape's work boots and into her soft leather ones, and then stood up expectantly. "Give me your arm," he demanded as he held the Blast-Ended Skrewt bracelet and necklace out to her. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, and he smirked at her, his face one of devilish humor. "Surely you didn't think I'd forget the jewelry I made especially for you?"

"But..." she said as he grabbed her wrist, and clamped on the bracelet.

"Yes?" he asked in a slow drawl next to her ear as he placed the necklace around her neck. He smirked as she stiffened at the silky tone of his voice and released her. "You will wear them whenever I take you from this house."

"But, sir... If I promise... If I give you my word," she said to his retreating back.

"No." Silently, he Levitated her second box to the desk, sealed it closed, and bound the two boxes with twine. He turned and held out a small blue vial. "Drink this," he demanded, and she looked at the vial speculatively. "Do not make me ask twice," he warned her softly.

She took the vial and sipped the potion apprehensively. Snape crossed his arms, waiting impatiently. Her mind seemed to instantly fog slightly. "W-what is – did you, in this..." she tried to ask, but her thoughts seemed to mix incoherently.

He looked down at her and his eyebrow quirked up a notch. "Short term Befuddlement Draught, Miss Granger. Just enough to confuse you from what you will see and what you may think you are seeing. We are doing his business today," he stated, his lips curled slightly with a wicked sense of humor. "Take these," he demanded firmly, handing her two boxes. "Shall we go," he said, taking the boxes tied together. He guided her out into the back garden and grasped her arm.

They Apparated into a deserted alley between two very tall buildings, and Hermione hazarded a guess that they were possibly in London. A brown door suddenly materialized in the wall above of a short cement stairway, opening slowly, and an old wizard in lime green robes and brown cloak approached them quickly and stood next to Snape, looking at him appraisingly. He was nearly as tall as Snape with grey hair and a ruddy completion. "Right on time. Knew you would be – usually are. Bright out here – isn't it? Got your owl of course. Couldn't believe you would write me – but none the less – here you are," he rambled quickly, looking at Snape undaunted.

"Here are the potions I wrote you about, Master Ogden. Directions are inside. No one is to know." Snape said respectfully, handing the two large boxes tied together to the Healer.

"Humfred. I've known you too long, son. Don't stand on formalities now," he corrected Snape. "Oh, hello," he said to Hermione absentmindedly and then turned back to Snape. "Does he know?" he asked with a quick flicker of apprehension on his face that immediately faded. "Course not. Wouldn't be here if he did. Pretty girl. Do I know her? No, I don't think so – familiar though, but no. Too bad. Been really needing these – how'd you know?" He looked at Hermione again and his brow wrinkled. "Is she your apprentice? No, too young. Pity. Some odd poisons being used lately – should've known to ask you. You should you know, son – take one on... but you've never wanted one, have you? Got some new fangled scales they want me to use, son... Hate them. Should give them to you – but you like the old type, too, don't you, same as me... Maybe your girl would like them," he said as an afterthought, pointing to Hermione, then looked back up at Snape. "You were always so like me – like brewing the hard ones, huh? And if I need more?" he asked, turning and walking away, the two large boxes floating before him. "I'll owl you. That's right – Jingy knows how to find you. Thank you, son."

Snape watched the old Healer walk back to the brown door with a look of respect and admiration and smiled. His smile faded as he took Hermione's arm and looked intently into her soft brown eyes. The Befuddlement Potion still made her dazed and confused. She looked back at him in disbelief and incomprehension. "The boxes... We made – he's a Healer? Those potions... he called you, son? You? The ones we made for – are we in London? This isn't St Mungo's," she stammered incoherently. Her brain just didn't seem able to function. "You supplied... poisons, he said poisons? You gave poisons to St Mungo's?"

"An old friend... I gave him some potions, yes... and nothing more. Do you recognize him?" he asked, taking one of the boxes she carried from her.

Hermione looked at Snape, confusion mixed with utter respect. "No, sir. At least I don't think so – should I have?"

"Good. He is, by the way, one of us," he said. He modified her memory, purposefully planting the vision of a handsome wizard with curly brown hair and intense brown eyes in her mind, standing in the alley near them, holding his Death Eater mask lazily in his hand. When her eyes widened in recognition of the Death Eater's image, he quickly took her arm and Disapparated the both of them away. They Apparated into Knockturn Alley in the same location he had taken her before.

Two wizards in black robes, who had been leaning against the wall of Slange and Drange, straightened, wands ready as Snape and Hermione appeared. The second Apparation seemed to help clear Hermione's mind, but only slightly, and she looked around and noted two other wizards in black robes that stood casually in the street only a few paces away. Both men looked familiar to her, although their faces were turned away, looking down the street.

"Abou' time, we've been waitin'," a wiry man with straight black hair and a lazy eye said gruffly. The other looked just like the Death Eater she vaguely remembered from the other alley a moment ago.

So, he was there and now here – he followed us... but we Disapparated before he did, or I'd have heard his Apparation crack... But if he left after we did – how did he get here before us... Her mind raced as she looked at the brown-haired man.

"Avery, Cillian," Snape addressed the men as they approached with a cordial nod. The other two wizards in the street merely glanced in Snape's direction with curt nods and then turned their heads. "We agreed to meet at a quarter after three. I believe I am punctual," Snape said amicably with an amused smile.

Cillian wolfed in laughter, and Snape cocked his eyebrow as a slight smile curled his lip. "Always the same, you ole' bat," Cillian said between laughs. "Well, let's get inside and get this job done."

Snape activated the Anti-Apparation Wards on Hermione's necklace. "Do behave yourself, my dear," he said coolly in his silky drawl. Avery stepped next to Hermione, and she nervously looked away, staring again at the wizards in the street. They both stayed where they were, making unobtrusive glances at the shoppers in the street with an intent alertness, belying their relaxed pose. One looked like Lestrange, but he kept his face averted from her as he watched the people pass.

Snape turned Hermione abruptly to proceed before him and walked confidently into Slange and Drange. Once inside, he immediately requested to see Ian Frastoter as Snape set his box on the counter and then turned to take the second box from Hermione. "He's not here," the shop assistant stated gruffly.

Snape just chuckled, condescendingly. "Try looking in the back," he said, his tone sharp. "I believe I have an appointment."

The man turned and disappeared behind a curtain. Moments later, Ian Frastoter walked up to the counter. "Master Snape, you have something for me?" he said, looking at the boxes expectantly.

"Everything you requested," Snape replied coolly.

The shopkeeper opened the boxes and began examining the contents carefully. "This isn't your writing.... Who'd you get these from?"

Severus watched the shopkeeper's inspection with a wicked twist of his lips and a strange glint in his eye. "After nearly twenty years and you still don't trust me?"

"This is your work?" Mr. Frastoter asked. Snape simply raised one eyebrow, his face a hard mask. "Of course it is – same quality as usual." Snape silently nodded and glared at the shopkeeper, un-amused. "Okay, then.... Here you go," Mr. Frastoter said, undaunted, and set a pouch on the counter down which clinked heavy of coins. "Oh, and I got something to give you. Got a message yesterday saying I was to see you get this." He pulled out a long thick package and passed it to Snape.

Snape extracted several Galleons and handed them to Cillian, and then he put the package and pouch in his robes. "Thank you. If you require anything else, owl me," he said, taking Hermione's arm and turning to leave.

Back on the street, the three men stood waiting, talking amicably regarding the state of the Ministry and various occurrences in the country, many of them Muggle attacks. Severus held Hermione's hand firmly in the crook of his arm, giving her knuckles a painful roll whenever she tried to shift away from him. The two wizards Hermione had seen before they'd entered the shop turned to look in their direction briefly, but hadn't moved from their post. She stood quietly, listening to the three men talk, taking in every word. It was the first news of the Wizarding world she'd heard, and although she knew that their views were slanted, she hoped to hear some news of her friends, but little was said about anyone she knew well, and nothing was said about the Weasleys or Harry. Several people passed them, making furtive glances, but no one stopped or stared for too long, or they stepped aside to avoid the three men and witch in black hooded robes. Finally, Snape bid his comrades good-bye and pulled Hermione aside. "Time to go," he stated and Apparated them back to the house.

~o0o~

The Dark Lord wanted the girl seen, and Cillian had been eager to help him corral Hermione on his errand to Slange and Drange. But then Cillian was usually up for a possibly combative assignment. Truthfully, Cillian was one of the few that Severus called his friend, and he also knew Cillian regretted taking the mark just as he did; but as far as Severus knew, he was the only one who knew his friend's secret. He also knew that Cillian wasn't ready to turn either. Pity, he would be an asset to the Order... Still, he's nearly open to the suggestion...

Severus had checked Hermione's memories as soon as they'd arrived back to the house to see if and what Hermione had retained of his little side trip. He had been impressed. She had remembered quite a lot of the outing, but her memories from stop in the back alley next to St. Mungo's were sufficiently modified. Even befuddled, the girl could still reason things out. This definitely poses a problem.... However, the image of Cillian standing in the alley was firmly planted in her memory. If the Dark Lord does find this memory, I'll be able to claim she was confused, mistaken, or that it was merely a delivery to another Death Eater... Jaron Whitherspoon perhaps... blundering idiot can never remember anything correctly.

~o0o~

Snape was restless at breakfast, nearly hexing Wormtail for his shameless glaring and blatant innuendos regarding Hermione's impending summons before the Dark Lord. Hermione's nauseated stomach and general nervousness became so acute she tried to dismiss herself from the table. Snape flatly refused, which made the Rat snicker. The two men stared each other down until Wormtail cowered. Draco was amused by the tension in the room and smiled smugly as he ate. Hermione wanted to wipe the smirk off his face as much as she wanted to hide in Snape's bedroom until the summons. Snape snapped at her each time she made the suggestion. Afterward, Snape sent Draco to the sitting room and took Hermione to the room across from the kitchen to continue the lessons to protect her mind. His attacks on her mind were strong and brutal in her opinion, but she was able to shift the memories more often under his attacks and probing, although she could not block him. When her head began to hurt, he simply gave her a Headache Potion, waited, and then tried again. By lunch her headache felt like a pounding migraine for which Snape gave her a stronger Headache Potion.

Following lunch, Snape insisted that Peren fix Hermione's hair into 'something suitable' and dress her in black robes. Peren had little to do. Hermione's usually bushy curls had been tamed lately into soft, silky curls that now fell past her shoulders. Peren typically used a clip or combs to pull her hair from her face, although today she merely brushed her hair and let it fall. Hermione now sat in the sitting room waiting nervously, trying to concentrate on the book in her lap. Snape was the vision of controlled calm as he sat writing at a small desk he'd transfigured from one of the tables. Draco looked up at her and smiled. "So, Granger, got any questions before you go?" he sneered.

Snape looked up, gave both of them a bored glance. "Draco, I warn you, knock it off," he snarled and went back to the parchments he was writing on.

Draco smiled seductively. "I just thought, this being her first summons and all, she might like to know what to expect."

"She shall find out soon enough," Snape said, impatience making his tone sharp. Hermione reread the paragraph again, still unable to concentrate on the words. Her mind raced with possible ways of avoiding the summons and inwardly moaned when she had to discount each one.

Draco just chuckled condescendingly. "Anxious, Granger? Apprehensive about meeting the greatest wizard of all? Someone who hates your very kind?"

"I told you to cease, Draco." Suddenly, Snape stood, his jaw clenched, his hands in fists, and he crossed the room. Hermione lowered her gaze back to her book, holding her breath, until she realized Snape was looming over her. She swallowed hard and looked up. He looked down at her curiously, almost sympathetically, and then schooled his face back into something impassive. "It's time, Miss Granger," he said in a soft drawl, but he was already smirking.

Hermione swallowed again to quell her fear and rose, setting the book down, and followed him from the room to the back door. Unconsciously, she fingered the Blast-Ended Skrewt necklace and tried to mentally brace herself.

"Drink this," Snape said in an almost kind tone, holding a plain vial out to her.

"I thought that I couldn't be under any spell or potion that would alter my mind..." she said, taking the vial with reservations.

Snape raised his eyebrow, and his mouth twitched. "A simple Calming Draught. I presume you are nervous and this will help you. I do expect you to do what I tell you to do – without resistance, question or complaint. Your life depends on it," he said, his tone strict. She accepted the potion gratefully. "Ready to enter the snake's lair?"

Author's Notes: