Unwillingly Trapped

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o 29 o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unwillingly Trapped

~D~

Draco checked new stirring rods and new quills off his list and looked at the remaining items his father had requested before he tucked the list back into his pocket. The only thing left was to place an order for taper candles for his mum and order the new book Aviaries of the Wizarding World by Endell Harper, a renowned author of magical and exotic birds, for his father. His father's aviary and prize peafowl were supposedly featured in the book. Draco also wanted new boots and broom wax. He looked down the street, deciding whether to go to Belladonna's candle shop first or Alderton's Kwik-Repair Shop or to Fire-Draker Cobblers, and saw Hermione walking up the street from the stationary shop. He knew that she was working for Weasley for pocket money, which really amused him. He watched her, amazed that Severus allowed his wife to be out on the street unescorted, considering that many of his dad's past associates hated her. He figured that he had enough time to socialize, so he started to walk in her direction. "Oi, Granger!" he called out, increasing his speed to catch up to her.

Hermione turned, saw him and turned back around. She snapped her head in his direction when he touched her arm, looking exasperated. "What?"

Her tone was sharp but, considering their history, Draco wasn't the least bit surprised. "Do you have a minute?" he asked, coming to a stop in front of her. Considering his parent's change of attitude toward the girl, he figured he might as well try to be friendly, too. Besides, she'd helped him avoid Azkaban.

"I'm busy, Draco," she replied, adjusting the packages in her arms. "I'm expected back at the shop."

From the shape of the packages, he assumed that they were double reams of parchment, possibly for Weasley's colorful flyers. "I was hoping to, I dunno, have you join me for tea." He sounded like a berk, but managed to control the reflex to cringe.

She looked at him with an incredulous expression and then smirked at him. "Tea? You and me? What would your father say?"

Her manner was irritating him. Here he was trying to be civil, even friendly, and she looked at him as if he were still an arrogant first-year. "I don't care what my father would think if I had tea with the likes of you. I can have tea with whomever I want to." Her eyes narrowed in anger, and he mentally cursed himself. Damn, why does she always rub me the wrong way? He took a breath and held out a hand to stop her from walking away. "I simply wanted to talk. You are capable of talking to me, aren't you?"

"Of course, I'm capable. It's your abilities in question," she replied tartly, turning her shoulders to make his hand drop from her arm.

He shoved the hand in his pocket. "Look, we really need to start over, you and I, considering that you are Bonded to Severus Snape and all. He's practically a member of the family."

"And all of a sudden your family finds me acceptable? Blimey, you Malfoys are unbelievable!" she said incredulously, smirking at him. "First your father, then your mum, and now you. What makes you think I want to be friends, considering everything I've had to put up with from you?"

Draco didn't like the slur on his family; they were at least trying. "Oh, yes, and you have tried to let bygones be bygones, have you?" He took a step away from her. "I know that my family has been rude to you in the past, but you stood up for me and my mum anyway, and I thank you for that. I just thought we could..."

"You're welcome," she replied politely enough, although the sincerity didn't reach her eyes. "I have to get back to the shop."

"You can spare a minute, can't you?" he asked, hoping to get this on a better footing.

Hermione's eyebrows rose, mockingly. "Why? So you can show the world that the arrogant Draco Malfoy has turned a new leaf by having tea with the Mudblood best friend of Harry Potter?"

"Maybe I'm simply thirsty and want company!" he stated, trying to keep his frustration in check.

Hermione pointed to a shop girl, standing outside Belladonna's Illuminaries and Candles, having a smoke. "She's available. I need to get these to George."

Draco took a step closer to her and held up his hands. "You're impossible," his said, his fingers fully extended, not to strangle her but to make her see reason. "You want to know why? It's simple." He dropped one of his hands, using the other to point aimlessly down the street. "Severus is my godfather, well, second godfather. Mum and Father asked him when Lestrange was sent to Azkaban. I admit that Mum suggested I get to know you," he said, now pointing at her. "Really. Don't look at me like I'm some child being told to play nice with the daughter of a guest. It's not that." He was trying, but it was really hard for him to let go of his old habits.

Thankfully, Hermione recognized the effort and giggled softly. "My parents used to do the same thing. I hated playing with Stephanie Grousman."

He assumed that this Grousman was a Muggle because the only Grousman he knew was a ninety-year-old, curmudgeon hermit. "Crabbe and Goyle weren't too bad. Nott only wanted to read when he came over, but Ephraim Lestrange always broke things and then blamed me."

She gasped in shock, nearly dropping one of the packages. "You mean Bellatrix had a baby?"

"Nah, Rabastan's," Draco said with a smirk. "He went to Durmstrang. Crouch had Uncle Rab's wife Kissed when I was two, and she died in Azkaban." Draco was surprised to see the sympathy in her eyes for the crazy wench, although in all fairness, she'd never met the loon. Maybe Granger isn't so bad after all. "How about if we just agree that the potion's botched sludge and start over. Maybe we can find some common ground."

She started laughing.

"What is so funny?" he asked, crossing his arms and glaring at her, insulted by her hysterics.

She stopped laughing long enough to say, "You just equated our past to sewage treatment waste."

"I did not!" he exclaimed, affronted.

~S~

Auror Hayward Blume, Polyjuiced to impersonate Rowle, stood outside of Cabochons Lapidary, pretending to be looking at the minerals, crystals, and gemstones in the display window. Severus was next door at Gambol and Japes, currently leaning against the wall between the door and topiary dragon in a large pot with an Auror's Anti-Notice Charm on his person. Galvin Darthmyer and Loraine Matsuno likewise lingered along the shop windows across the street, currently gazing at the window of Incense Wondrous, both in disguises. At least they appeared to be a couple waiting for something. In contrast, for someone trying to be casually inconspicuous while browsing, Blume was inept. He'd been constantly looking over his shoulder, scanning the shoppers and passersby as he slowly moved from shop to shop, and watching everyone behind him in the reflections of the windows. Severus had given up listening to Blume's babble on the hearing device in his ear.

A wizard approached and passed by Severus, wearing a floppy-brimmed hat and nondescript patched robes, attracting Severus' notice. Even with his face mostly obscured by the brim of the hat, he was trying to be inconspicuous, head slightly down, stoop shouldered and barely moving his head to peer from under the brim, but Severus recognized him regardless. It was Alberic Gibbon, older brother of Rowle's best mate, Adian Gibbon, who'd died from a Killing Curse that had been intended for Lupin the day Severus had killed Dumbledore. Severus swore, ignoring the admonishment from the mother herding four kids out of Gambol and Japes. He waited, watching Gibbon as he stopped at the magical instruments shop. Several seconds later, Gibbon crossed the street and approached Auror Blume. He tried to signal Matsuno, but she wasn't watching him, or Gibbon. Her attention was on something in the other direction, something Darthmyer was discreetly pointing out.

Severus adjusted his hearing device to increase the volume and focused on what Gibbon might say. Thankfully, Auror Matsuno turned to check Blume. She nudged Auror Darthmyer and indicated toward Blume with a subtle lift of her chin. Showing a great deal of restraint, Darthmyer observed the pair across the street in the shop's window.

"So, you now into healing stones and crystal divination, eh?" Gibbon asked, moving to stand next to Blume as if the display was his destination. Unnoticed by Gibbon, Matsuno and Darthmyer moved in Blume's direction to the next shop, directly behind him, although still managing to appear more interested in the window display than the pair across the street.

Blume paused, as if trying to think of what he should say. "No, that was Dumbledore's thing," he finally said in Rowle's gruff voice.

Apparently, that was the right response because Gibbon smiled and turned to face Rowle. "What are you doing here?" Gibbon asked softly.

"Shopping, what else?" Blume responded slowly, still facing the windows.

Severus scowled at the conversation. Blume was hesitating before answering, and he seemed to be trying too hard to act indifferent, and failing, which would only aggravate Gibbon.

"What's gotten into you?" Gibbon snapped.

Severus considered easing closer to the pair, but Gibbon was the jumpy type, suspicious, and generally alert. The Auror's version of the Anti-Notice spell allowed those who knew you were there to see you, but if he got too close, Gibbon's senses might detect Severus and thus make him visible. If that happened, he'd run, and they would lose the opportunity of the set up.

Blume turned to face Gibbon finally, a smile stretching on his face. "Nothing," he said.

"What is with you? I know the Aurors picked you up. Are you Confunded or something?"

Matsuno took the risk to glance at Severus, her brow creasing as she shrugged. He made a single nod to acknowledge her, but didn't move from his location because he was close enough should Blume need his assistance.

Blume's slow reaction only seemed, in Severus' opinion, to prove that Rowle was under the Confundus Charm or suffering the aftereffects of Veritaserum. "I was let go."

"Is that so? Why's..." Gibbon was suddenly distracted by something down the street.

Severus turned to look in the same direction and swore again. Hermione was walking toward Weasley's shop with Draco Malfoy.

"Oi! There is that Mudblood! Just my good luck!"

Severus watched as Gibbon reached for his wand just as a bunch of snot-nosed kids blocked his path as they clustered together to enter Gambol and Japes. As Gibbon took aim at Hermione, Blume acted quickly, ramming his elbow in Gibbon's gut and drawing his wand. Severus shoved his way through the boys, knocking two of them down just as Gibbon fired the Killing Curse. Down the street, Draco pulled Hermione to him, making her lose her footing as she fell into him. Severus shoved another woman aside as he frantically tried to close the distance between Blume, Gibbon and himself, his wand now in his grip.

Gibbon let out a hiss and smacked Blume, pushing him away. "What's wrong with you?" he snarled as he tried to cast another Killing Curse at Hermione and Draco.

Down the street, Draco pulled Hermione with him against the wall of the ice cream parlor and wrapped her in his arms as Blume tried to wrestle Gibbon.

Severus heard Blume snarl, "I got you, now," as he grabbed Gibbon's arm, aiming his wand at the man's stomach.

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that." Gibbon tried to jerk his arm free and disappeared suddenly, setting off the Apparating alarms for that section of the street. Down the street, the Apparating alarms activated again.

Both Gibbon and Blume and Draco and Hermione disappeared. Severus let out an animalistic snarl as he followed the pull of the Tracking Charm on Blume.

~H~

Hermione looked up, suddenly went pale, and grasped Draco's arm as she gasped, her packages falling to the ground unnoticed. Draco turned to see what had startled her so and saw Rowle and Gibbon standing bold as you please in front of a shop window. Unfortunately, Gibbon also saw Hermione, and he was drawing his wand. Draco took action quickly, grasping Hermione and yanking, pulling her over closer to the shops, hoping to use the shop's bay window as cover. The jet of sickly green light passed behind Hermione and killed a potted rose. She stumbled, but at least she didn't fight him too much. "We have to get out of here," he told her urgently, trying to hold her tightly enough in his arms to Apparate.

She struggled, her foot landing hard on his boot. "Stop manhandling me!" she snarled.

Gibbon was taking aim again as Rowle grabbed his arm and finally drew his own wand. Draco had no idea why Rowle was trying to protect them, but he'd not spurn an owl bearing gifts. Gibbons' Killing Curse rebounded off the wall inches from where they were standing. Ignoring her protests, he Disapparated, taking her with him to the first place that came to him. Home. His room to be precise.

"Get off – let go of me this instant!" Hermione snarled, shoving him away.

"I was only saving your life, you ungrateful wench," Draco snarled back. "Of all the ungrateful..."

"Well, wench is much better than Mudblood, I suppose," Hermione snarled at him from over her shoulder as she surveyed his bedroom.

"I'm trying to turn over a new leaf," he snarled back, furious at the girl's lack of appreciation. She'd be a corpse if he hadn't acted so quickly.

Hermione whirled around to face him. "By abducting me to your bedroom?!" she snapped at him as if just now realizing where he'd taken her to.

"It was the first place I thought of," he snapped back, wishing he'd thought of the koi pond. Then he could have dumped her in it.

"Convenient," she snarled, hands on her hips, glaring at him as if he'd brought her here to molest her. "Let me go!"

"Gladly," Draco said, moving aside to let her pass and holding out his arm. "There's the door."

Hermione jerked the door open and came face to face with a shocked Lucius Malfoy. "Draco, what is all the shouting? Oh, hello, Mrs. Snape," he said, his surprise making it more a question than a statement. "Welcome back," he said civilly with a polite smile, recovering quickly.

"Hardly," she snapped. "Let me pass."

"By all means," Lucius said, standing aside chivalrously.

Draco watched her storm past his father and his fists clenched. "Ungrateful bitch."

His father had raised his eyebrow questioningly at him until his outburst made him scowl. "Draco, manners," Lucius said smoothly. "Regardless, of how uncivil she is, she is a guest in this house. I'm assuming she's a guest... You didn't abduct her, did you?"

"NO!" he answered, then sighed, his shoulders relaxing as he watched his father's expression darken. "Yes. But I had good cause and no time to think before acting. Gibbon and Rowle were in Diagon Alley. Gibbon tried to kill her, but oddly Rowle tried to stop him..."

"I think we had best see to our guest," Lucius said, cutting him off with a wave of his hand. "You can tell me what happened later, after dinner. Let's make sure she's not too upset with us, shall we?"

~S~

Severus arrived at what looked like a karst-landscape region not twenty feet away from the entrance to a megalithic dolmens. Blume was being held by the scruff by Gibbon, who was arguing with none other than Ashton Foulkes.

Severus thanked Merlin that he'd had the good sense to maintain his Anti-Notice Charm although the sound of his Disapparation was as loud as a gunshot in the wide open rock and grass terrain. He quickly Disillusioned himself as he lunged, ducking into the grass as both wizards turned immediately in the direction of the sound. Foulkes drew his wand while Gibbon fired a Killing Curse at the place Severus had stood. Severus fired a Body-Bind at Gibbon, but the wizard had swung Blume in front of him when he'd turned, and Severus hit Blume square in the chest.

The twin pops of Matsuno and Darthmyer rent the silence, and Severus used the distraction to take aim at Gibbon again. Gibbon and Foulkes both shot off a spell at Darthmyer. Darthmyer fumbled, apparently either having been hit or from losing his footing. But Matsuno knocked Foulkes on his arse with a powerful spell. Severus took aim at Gibbon as Gibbon fired again, this time at Matsuno, and Severus hit him in the side, immobilizing Gibbon.

Severus removed the spells on his person as he watched Matsuno run over to Blume and release the Body-Bind. "Nice shot," she said as Severus approached.

He looked around but assumed that the megalithic dolmens was empty since no one else had joined in the fray. "Loads of practice," he said and indicated Gibbon with a nod of his head. "He's Alberic Gibbon. I confirm him to be a Death Eater and one of the inner circle. The other," he said, pointing, "is Aston Foulkes. I have to go, but I want to interrogate these two. I have a personal interest in them."

Matsuno's eyebrows rose and she smirked. "Anything you want to tell me?"

"No," Severus replied as Darthmyer walked over, limping badly.

"I'll inform Shacklebolt," Matsuno said and hurried over to secure Foulkes.

Severus pointed at Darthmyer's leg. "I can do a quick check to ascertain if there is a break," he said, his wand held casually in his direction.

Darthmyer squinted his eyes in suspicion as Severus knelt down beside him. "I know it's broken," he snarled. "I can barely stand on it."

"Then it wouldn't hurt to check, would it?" Severus annunciated the diagnostic spell to detect broken bones clearly rather than doing it nonverbally. Darthmyer flinched, his own wand aimed at Severus. The light surrounding Darthmyer's lower leg pulsed with a red glow just above the ankle.

Severus calmly looked up at the Auror, ignoring the wand pointed at his face. "If you want I can heal this."

Darthmyer looked at him skeptically, but nodded, never lowering his wand. "So'l-right," he slurred through clenched teeth.

Severus held his hand beside the injury and aimed his wand at the fracture site. "Talocrural Emendo," he said smoothly and distinctly while envisioning the proper anatomical structure of the tibia, fibula, and talus. The glow around Darthmyer's ankle brightened and then faded. Severus sat back as Darthmyer moved his foot, testing the joint.

"Thank you," he said, finally lowering his wand.

Severus nodded, noting that Matsuno had both Foulkes and Gibbon bound in ropes, almost ready to Apparate with them to the Ministry. "I'll be in the office in an hour," he said to her.

"Oh, they'll be waiting," she replied with a smirk.

Severus arrived back at Diagon Alley and walked to where he'd last seen Hermione and Draco. What was Draco doing here, and where did he take my wife? She had looked upset, but then she'd just seen Auror Blume posing as Rowle talking to Gibbon, and Gibbon had tried to kill her – twice. He closed his eyes a moment and his intuition said, 'Southwest.' Severus opened his eyes and turned in the direction his intuition was directing him. He could feel an urge, not dissimilar to a feint tug, which seemed to pull at him southward, getting stronger the harder he focused on wanting to find Hermione. It was just like the feeling he'd had the night he'd followed Hermione to the park. His gut was telling him, Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, in southwest England.

Choosing to trust this gut feeling, he Apparated, letting his intuition guide him. He arrived in a hallway of the East guest wing in Malfoy Manor. Severus inhaled slowly, his senses drawing him down and to the right. He knew she was here, just as he had known she'd been in Weasley's flat the night of Wealsey's party. The implications were not lost on him.

~H~

Hermione hated being called a guest. She was not a guest in this house – she was a captive – again! Being brought here against my will – into a bedroom – Draco's if I were to guess – does not equate to being a guest! She fumed as she stormed down the hall and turned left, making another left and followed the hallway. The hall ended at a window between the doors to two bedrooms. Grunting in frustration, she turned and stormed back. She had no idea how the floor plan was laid out or where she was in the huge manor.

"And where do you think you are going?" a portrait asked imperiously.

"Away from his bloody bedroom," she snarled. Not only did she lose the parcels George had asked her to pick up, she was stuck in bloody Malfoy Manor.

The arrogant blond followed her into the next painting. "Well, then you are going the wrong way."

She turned to glare at him, surprised to see a handsome man in a tailored cotehardie that revealed his v-shaped torso under his open tunic, which was so short and tight, it emphasized his bulge in his striped tights. He hooked his thumbs in his belt, his fingers framing the bulge, and smirked at her for noticing. "If you are wishing to avoid the private residences of the heir, follow the hall to your left. However, if you go too far it will take you to the master's suites."

"And if I want out of here, which way should I go?" she asked the wizard as politely as she could.

"Where do you think you're going?" Draco asked, seemingly to materialize from out of nowhere.

"Home!" she snapped as she tried to decide whether to go right or left. The smirking image of the wizard had said that Mr. Malfoy's rooms were to the left, Draco's to the right. Behind her she knew to be a dead end. So she chose left, swearing softly when both the painted wizard and Draco followed her.

"In the East guest wing?" Draco asked amused, catching up to her easily. "Severus' rooms are down and to the left there."

"No, I mean my home," she replied, tired of the game he was playing. She stopped in front of a stairway that went up not down.

"You mean Spinner's End?" Draco asked bemusedly from behind her.

"Gr... Grr..." she tried to say and couldn't, due to the protection of the Fidelius Charm. "Harry's, okay! I want to go home!" Just then, to make matters even worse, Severus appeared down the hall walking toward her. "Perfect!"

"So, you did want to see your husband?" Draco chided her, crossing his arms and leaning next to the frame holding the blond wizard and a bemused white-haired witch in a high-waisted, heavily embroidered gown of contrasting silks and brocades from the late medieval period.

"She's married to Severus Snape?" the witch asked the wizard in her frame, her brow arched and pointing to them with a delicate, ring-adorned hand.

"I'm not sure. She lives at Grr House with someone named Harry," the wizard replied smugly.

Draco turned to look at his ancestors. "Nope, she's magically Bonded to Severus Snape."

The witch and wizard looked confused, and Hermione scowled at them. She didn't like the smirk and condescending tone of the witch, or the smugness of the wizard, which matched Draco's bemused expression perfectly. She rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

"Hermione, are you all right?" Severus asked, coming to a halt in front of her and grasping her by the arms. "You weren't hit, were you?"

"No. If she'd been hit, she'd be dead. Gibbon cast the Killing Curse," Draco said nonchalantly. "What I want to know is why Rowle was trying to save her?"

"He what?" Hermione asked, turning to look at him.

"It wasn't Rowle," Severus said smoothly, turning her to face him again. "Are you all right? Come with me; let's get you out of here." He put an arm across her shoulders and led her away. However, he stopped in front of the open doorway to his rooms.

Hermione took a step back. "I'm not going in there!" She wanted to leave, to go home. She was not going to shag Severus.

"I need to talk to you, and you should freshen up for dinner," he replied, opening the door and shoving her inside. She heard Draco's laughter before the door closed behind him. "What were you doing wondering around Diagon Alley unescorted? You are not supposed to be wandering around anywhere–"

"I was with Ron! Well, sort of. He was behind me, or so I thought," she snarled. "I bumped into Draco and realized Ron had ducked into the Quidditch shop. He prevented me from returning to George's shop..."

Severus leaned over her, his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Do not interrupt me! I know that Draco intercepted you. I was on the street. Had he not – you'd. Be. Dead. What will it take, woman, to make you see how precarious your life is right now? Rowle was an Auror under Polyjuice. Two other Aurors were on the street with us with five stationed in strategic positions for crowd control and back up if needed. It was a planned trap. Thankfully, it worked. Two more were apprehended today, out of ten that we know who have joined up with Dolohov. Not only do they want to kill you for your part in the war – they want to kill you for mine. They know that we are Bonded. If you are killed, it will weaken me, temporarily, but enough. Bloody hell, witch, what will it take to get this though your thick head. They. Want. You. Dead."

Hermione staggered and fell back, thankfully, into a chair. "I was in a public – there were kids around! Families!"

He ran his hands though his hair. "Do you think that matters? Alberic Gibbon killed the Walsh family; Amycus Carrow blasted down the door, killed the father and one son while Gibbon took out the mother, another son, and an infant. He killed Amy Colin and her flat mate in a green grocer. They were only nineteen. On Hyde street, he made a car swerve and kill Orinda Blume, wife of Auror Blume – in broad daylight – on a crowded street. He killed Walter Green and a postman on the front step of his house in broad daylight – on a Saturday. Gibbon was on the raid of the Ashley Magical Primary School that had been targeted because they'd accepted Muggle-borns after the Dark Lord's first fall, and he killed two teachers and two passersby. He killed three Muggles on the Penwortham Bridge in Preston, Lancashire to get James Ponce, who had testified at his brother's hearing. He stood on a street corner to blow up a car belonging to a half-blood who married a Muggle, killing his wife and two kids as they drove by. He was on the raid with his brother in Buxted, killing a family in the local park, and in Newhaven, East Sussex they raided the home of Laura and Stephen Madley because their daughters, Debbie and Laura, had been admitted to Hogwarts. He was..."

"Enough!" she shouted, cutting him off and covering her ears. "Okay, he's evil," she moaned, desperate to make him stop.

"He's only one, Hermione," he said, forcing her arms down and kneeling to look her in the eye. "He was tame compared to some and earned the Dark Lord's favor frequently for his brazenness. I know these men; I was one of them."

"What sort of things did you do, then? Kill kids in their home? Blow up cars with families in them? Attack primary schools and play grounds? Blow up bridges?" she asked and realized that he'd avoided her gaze as she listed off the possibilities. She recoiled in shock when he didn't deny any of it. "You did, didn't you?"

"I joined the Dark Lord after leaving Hogwarts in 1978. I was sent to a Potions master for my training, because Avery, Rosier, Mulciber, the Lestrange brothers, and Lucius Malfoy all told him how promising I was in Potions. But I served him. So, yes, I did some of those things and more. In 1980 I overheard something, a prophecy that I knew meant the death of Lily Evans – Potter. I turned to Dumbledore, but at a price. I was Dumbledore's spy, the Dark Lord's minion – a sycophant. I am a killer, Hermione. Mostly, I was very adept at magically manipulating others."

"Was," she tried to correct him, but it came out as a weak squeak. She looked at him imploringly, hoping to see that he was exaggerating.

"I was a Death Eater, one of the inner circle, a favorite, and extremely well versed in the Dark Arts," he stated firmly. "I told you not to romanticize it. I created potions, poisons, and curses to kill and cause harm. I was very skilled at manipulating and bending people to my will, making them do what I wanted them to do. I'm not proud of my early adult years, but that's what I had become – until he went after Lily." He paused as he glanced at the floor. "I was everything you hate about them."

Tears slid down unbidden on her cheeks as his words sunk in. He reached out to wipe them away, and she jerked her head back. "And after, after Harry won the Triwizard Tournament? You were on our side!"

He summoned a chair and sat, facing her, his arms on his legs and hands laced together between his knees. "Dumbledore sent me to him after we got what information we could from Barty Junior, before he was Kissed. I presented myself to the Dark Lord. I carried out his plans all summer – relaying what I could to Dumbledore. I was told to reside here, at Malfoy Manor, to train Draco, and the new recruits. When school started, I was told to return – so I did. Happily, might I add. During the Christmas holidays, I remained in the castle – but I was summoned frequently, for my... specific talents. The following summer – I was remanded to my own home, but I was forced to house that vermin Pettigrew – in my home. The Malfoy's were in disgrace because Lucius was unsuccessful in retrieving the prophecy and had been arrested. As you know. That year, Dumbledore gave me the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, which made the Dark Lord very angry with me. He knew the position was cursed and that I'd have only one year in the position if not the school. It forced him to escalate his plans to take over. He wasn't ready – there weren't as many wizards and witches flocking to him like the last time. Too many people remembered. Over Christmas holidays, I was again summoned frequently. He wanted hundreds placed under the Imperius or made into Inferi. I invented a potion that mimicked the blank expression of the Imperius but allowed the individual to retain their mental facilities. It was a risk... As you know, for every potion or poison I created – I created an antidote. You met my contact at St. Mungo's, although you might not remember him."

"Vaguely," she said softly.

He was staring at his hands and he continued, his voice solemn. "The end of that term, I killed Dumbledore. The Dark Lord was furious. He had wanted Draco to attempt it and to fail. Again, my actions forced his hand to take actions he was still not ready for. He wanted to wait until Potter was no longer under Dumbledore's protection. I was remanded to my home, but I was to train Draco in the Dark Arts, and I had to house Pettigrew again. But I was summoned for raids and for whatever the Dark Lord asked of me. That summer I didn't have any contact with the members of the Order. I still had a job to do – protect the students, but no backup. I managed to sway Draco during his seventh year, barely, and Narcissa. She knew that the only way her family would survive was if Potter won, and she'd have to do something to help him. Draco knew it too. They hated it, but in the end, they did try." He finally looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "You know the rest."

"Except how you survived the snake bite. I saw you die!" she exclaimed.

He shook his head. "You saw the muscle and respiratory paralysis caused by the hemotoxic and neurotoxic properties of Nagini's venom; it caused some minor damage, but I had taken the antidote. I'd had the antidote ever since creating it for Arthur Weasley. It takes multiple doses, but I had taken one just before entering the shack. Lucius was waiting outside, just in case, with another dose. A previous arrangement we had. He waited until the Dark Lord had summoned everyone to the forest and slipped away to get me, called a house-elf, and had me taken to his home. Not all that dramatic, but that's what happened. Narcissa nursed me back to health."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, her mind processing everything he'd said. It was an honest accounting of his activities, without really giving her any of the details – details she now knew she didn't really want to know about. "Thank you," she replied honestly.

"So, dinner here, or would you prefer somewhere else?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

She was shocked to see his guard down, his body relaxed and his expression questioning. "I would prefer somewhere quiet and alone," she said. She was certain that she saw a flash of relief in his eyes. He must have thought that his statements would have made her turn away from him for good. "How about something light, soup and sandwiches take-away from a deli I know and go to your place?"

His mouth quirked into an amused half smile before he rose elegantly to his feet and extended his hand to her. "I have one better, Hogwarts and a small room overlooking the lake." She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. "My house is secured and warded for the school year," he added quickly.

Hermione nodded. "I will need to send a message to Harry and George," she replied. "They are probably thinking the worst about now."

"By all means," he said with a sweep of his hand. "A Patronus is faster than an owl and cannot be fabricated or falsified."

She sent two, one to George apologizing for going missing and losing his parchments and one to Harry saying she was all right and with Severus. Severus led her from the room and down into the main foyer. Draco came out from the drawing room, holding Astoria Greengrass' hand, followed by his parents. Severus made their apologies for not staying, stating that Hermione wanted to be alone after her near death excitement.

"Draco told us what happened. I'm glad you're all right," Narcissa said graciously to Hermione. "I look forward seeing you and your friends again tomorrow."

Hermione didn't know what to say so she simply said, "Thank you."

Lucius wished Hermione well and bid them good night before he and his wife walked away. Astoria greeted Hermione and Severus with a shy smile. Hermione thanked Draco and apologized for behaving so childishly. He simply smirked, told her not to think on it, and shook Severus' hand before leading Astoria to the dining room.

Severus Apparated them to the gates of the school. They walked in relative silence as Hermione gazed about the grounds, pointing out that Hagrid was home as they passed his hut.

"He lives here year-round, Hermione," Severus said with a bemused smile. He summoned a house-elf when they reached the Entrance Hall, asking the portly elf what had been made for dinner and requesting a table set up in a room on the seventh floor. When they entered, a table set for two next to the window with steaming bowls of stew, fresh bread and an open bottle of wine awaited them. Severus helped her with her chair and sat across from her. "Before you start, I ask you to please, let my past stay in the past. I realize that you are curious about me, and I know I'm secretive, but there is so much I simply want to forget. I'll try to be more forthcoming with some memories, but this is very difficult for me."

She watched him as he poured the wine. "I know. I'm sorry for being so pushy about it, but I hardly know you. I don't mean my stern, snarky professor, I mean you – and we're practically married! Okay, we're married – Bonded – whatever. Apparently we're soul mates, according to the spell, but you have to admit we hardly liked each other – well, I never hated you, but you couldn't stand me. That was very apparent."

He simply watched her, his eyes boring into hers, making her uncomfortable. "You hated me," she repeated before she tasted the stew. It was fabulous, the gravy rich and beefy, the potatoes and carrots soft but the peas were not at all mushy.

"I never hated you; you were annoying as a student. Parroting the books back at me perfectly without thinking for yourself," he said smoothly, his fingers sliding on the stem of his goblet, the other hand holding his spoon. "And I was unable to pull you aside as I wanted to do and force you to expand your mind, to challenge you and see how far you could go in Potions. I knew that you could brew any potion you saw in a book adequately enough. Just as I knew the other professors wouldn't push you to see how far you could go. They admired you too much."

Hermione gaped at the almost compliment laced between insults.

He smirked at her and swallowed some wine. "I even wanted to join your army in your fifth year and instruct you – work on your Defense skills, show you things that would really have made you fighters. But I couldn't risk it."

"Like what?" she asked, dropping her spoon as she looked at him with an eager curiosity, wondering what he'd have taught them.

"A moot point now, we won," he said and smiled at her disappointed stare. "Yes, I wanted Potter to win. I was banking on him to win."

"Would you still teach me?" she asked, taking a bite of her supper.

"What would be the point? You're not following Potter and becoming an Auror. In fact, I don't know what you want to do." He took a bite of his stew as he watched her intently.

She stared at the food in her bowl. "I don't know yet. No, I don't want to be an Auror, but I want to be able to make a difference in the world." She looked up at him. "There is so much that needs straightening out, so many wrongs."

He scoffed softly. "A crusader. You have eight months to figure it out. Applications should be sent in April, May at the latest, if you want an apprenticeship, although, I'd prefer if you didn't go that route."

She looked up and tilted her head slightly, her brows creasing in confusion. "Why?"

"I don't like the idea of my wife apprenticed to some shmuck. I want you at home or, better, here with me," he said. He scowled when she'd snorted softly at his comment. He turned to look at the window and back. "Enough of this. What else would you like to talk about?" he asked, his tone wary.

"How about the changes you've made to the school or the staff or curriculum?" she asked, taking a small bite of the stew. It was still very hot.

For the second time he seemed to relax, his mouth curving into a smile. He began to outline the changes he'd made, the newly acquired staff, and the things that he'd had to rescind from the previous year. "When the castle was rebuilt, the third floor was remodeled into large classrooms. The biggest change is that we will have a revision hall on the fourth floor, and there will be clubs for each subject and more inter-house activities so the students get to know one another without house rivalry. We will have individual competitions with honors given for individual achievements in each subject. The prefects have a lounge across from their private bathroom on the fifth floor. Also, we're going to have apprentices for the staff..."

~*~

Later that evening, after Severus gave Hermione a tour of the renovations done to the castle, they sat together in front of the fireplace in the headmaster's suite, sipping on a glass of elf-made wine. As long as she didn't ask about his past, Severus seemed to be relatively at ease with her, although he still reminded her of a predator ready to spring.

He obviously preferred silence, which Hermione found awkward, and she fought against her urge to engage him in idle conversation. More than once, she saw him smirking in his glass as he took a sip during the lulls of conversation.

Hermione wasn't used to drinking, and as she sipped on her third glass, she began to feel drowsy. However, Severus was discussing a theory on using anchovies verses shellfish in memory potions. She closed her eyes, trying to picture the rationale. "Isn't it a huge risk considering the use of a creature known to have the marine biotoxin domoic acid, which normally causes permanent short-term memory loss and brain damage, in memory restoration potions?" she asked.

"Bloodworm and Fire-boring chigger secretions neutralize the neurotoxin, but make the potion unstable. The powdered bicorn horn, if added to the potion in small amounts, should stabilize the potion, but timing its introduction is tricky," he said and started to explain why.

He was stroking her hair as he talked, giving her a warm fuzzy feeling intensified by the wine and the rich velvety sound of his voice...

S

"... It's not something I'd show a student," Severus said and realized that Hermione had fallen asleep against his side. He smiled, tucking her more comfortably beside him and transfiguring settee to a more comfortable recliner. Satisfied that he hadn't woken her, he then Summoned a book.

*

In the morning, the clock on the mantle began to chime again, the fireplace flared, and two newspapers popped out onto the carpet unnoticed by the sleeping couple. On the front page of the Daily Prophet was an article by Rita Skeeter complete with a picture of Hermione repeatedly falling into Draco's arms and vanishing away with him.

Hermione Granger-Snape's secret infatuation with Draco Malfoy

After years of hurtful, derogatory comments and bullying, did the Prince of Slytherin win the heart of the Gryffindor Princess? I think so, if what this reporter has witnessed is true. Has our brilliant star of the Golden Trio harbored deep-seated feelings for the scrumptious young Malfoy? She certainly seems to have been glad to see him. Is it possible that they have held secret crushes for each other after all these years? You all know what it means when little boys pull on little girl's braids, don't you? Maybe that's why Mrs. Granger-Snape has refused to sign her Bonding certificate and legalize her union to notorious ex-Death Eater, Severus Snape.

Wonder what Severus Snape thinks about his Bonded mate's tryst with her childhood flame, the heir of the Malfoy money?

~ T B C ~>

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Author's notes:

Thank you, Jay, for the beautiful banner. I absolutely love it!