Shadowed Conversations

Broken Enigma

Tygerlily

Angelusblood@yahoo.com

Chapter Two – Shadowed Conversations

Sighing softly to himself, he decided enough was enough and with a few whispered words, his form slowly shimmered into view. Pulling himself up to his full height and regally crossing his arms over his chest, he demurely cleared his throat. Spinning around, lightly colored cinnamon eyes widened in shock and surprise as Hermione began to stammer nervously.

"Pro... Professor Snape. You startled me," she said softly.

"Well I don't quite see how, with your incessant whimpering," he intoned softly.

Hermione stiffened immediately, and unbidden tears began to sting her eyes. Swallowing visibly, her body began to tremble with suppressed tears as she sniffled softly. Obsidian colored eyes widened in fright and his arms dropped swiftly and stiffly to his sides.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor if one more tear slides down your cheeks while in my presence... Do not push me, Miss Granger. I mean it," he said in all seriousness.

Sucking in a shaky breath, her eyes darted to the floor as she nodded jerkily, trying desperately to compose herself. Shakily, she brushed her hair back, sniffling. Nodding to herself after a moment, she shook her shoulders slightly and looked back up at the Potions master's face, a stoic mask showing no emotion.

Pursing his lips slightly, he nodded in acknowledgement before sucking his teeth softly. Stepping forward, he slowly began to circle her, eyeing her curiously.

"Tell me, Miss Granger... tonight is the Halloween feast, and yet here you are in the Astronomy Tower all alone. In the five years that you've attended this school, I think I can count the number of times I've seen you without your bodyguards on one hand... why?" he asked simply.

"Why what, sir?" she rasped softly.

"Why, on tonight of all nights, do I find you here instead of the Great Hall?"

Her eyes widened slightly, not wanting to divulge that she had been crying over the fact that Ron had basically screwed around on her because she wouldn't put out, and that Harry had been helping to keep the lying snake's secret.

Especially not to Hogwarts' resident evil Potions master.

"I uh... well, the other Prefects are enjoying themselves this evening, some of us had to sacrifice the evening to patrol and perform..."

"That is sheer and utter nonsense; you and I both know that on occasions such as this Prefect duties fall upon the professors unless the circumstances are extreme... For example, what occurred during your first year... Let alone the fact that you were so loud you could have woken the dead..." he trailed off with a raised brow.

Inhaling sharply, she realized that she probably wouldn't make it out of this without a detention; he had already threatened to dock her twenty House points if she cried anymore in front of him.

She'd be damned if she was going to tell him what kept her from the Halloween feast, let alone the Great Hall itself. Swallowing visibly, she lifted her chin a bit defiantly and squared her shoulders, almost as if she were preparing for a battle of some sort.

"I just didn't feel like attending the feast this year... sir," she finished quietly.

Severus's lips quirked in amusement before a scowl settled on his features once more.

"Be that as it may, you are out wandering the halls after hours. You are not within the walls of the Great Hall or the safety of Gryffindor Tower," he said with a sneer.

"You have two options: one, you make your way to the Great Hall and join the rest of the students in the festivities, or two, you take yourself back to Gryffindor Tower and spend the rest of the evening there. Either way, you will leave this tower; you will not be wandering the halls this evening. Whatever you choose, ten points from Gryffindor for wandering the halls after hours," he finished with a smirk.

Hermione's eyes widened and she began to sputter angrily.

"I suggest you do not push your luck, Miss Granger. I spared you twenty points earlier, and you are escaping this without a detention. You are lucky that it is ten points alone that I am taking from you."

Hermione's cheeks flushed with anger, but she knew better than to try and take the greasy git to task. She had really pushed her luck far enough as it was. If she kept at it, the end result would more than likely be more House points lost and a detention with Filch if she were lucky... detention with him if he was in a foul enough mood.

"Get moving, Miss Granger... unless you'd like me to dock those twenty points," he said pointedly.

Not needing any more encouragement, and with one last glare thrown in his direction, Hermione slipped past him and down the narrow stone stairway.

She began to mutter obscenities under her breath all pertaining to the Slytherin Head of House. He knew damn well that even though the professors did assume Prefect responsibilities during festivities, Perfects, and even the Head Boy and Girl were still allowed the same privileges. They were also still expected to perform at least some of their duties.

She shook her head; she knew that it was no use mulling over the subject now. Severus Snape would always be the slimy disgusting little snake that everyone claimed him to be. He always favored his House over all the others even if his darling little Slytherins were the cause of the incident in the first place. Of course there was his work for the Order and everything else he had done to help defeat the Dark Lord, but gratitude could only go so far.

The harsh click of her heels, the gentle brushing of her robes against the stone and her rhythmic breathing was all that could be heard as she continued to make her way back towards the Great Hall. She knew that there was a shorter way but she'd then have to pass Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, which was now usually flooded because it had been awhile since anyone had been by to visit her.

Hermione then made a mental note to stop in and see the usually contemplative and solitary ghost before the weekend was out. As she continued on her way, her thoughts floated back to the always sarcastic and sometimes just this side of nasty Potions master.

It just occurred to her that he had threatened to take twenty House points from her if she shed one more tear in his presence, but she had been alone in the tower... hadn't she? Her steps began to slow as she began to mentally retrace her steps.

She had left Gryffindor Tower and had made her way down and out into the main portion of the castle. Deciding to patrol, she had made her way towards the ground floor and passed the Great Hall before heading down into the dungeons. After wandering around the darkened hallways of the dungeons for a little while, she'd headed up one of the back staircases and back up to the main floor. She had then headed up the narrow stone stairway that lead up to the Astronomy Tower.

Sucking her lower lip in between her teeth, she tried to remember if she'd felt as if anyone had been following her at the time, but her mind was coming up empty. Her eyes widened, and she growled softly when she realized that he had probably been following her ever since she exited his dungeons, as he so affectionately called them on occasion.

Rolling her eyes, she was completely disgusted with herself. How could she not have realized that he had been spying on – suddenly her eyes snapped open with a newfound fear – if he had been following her that entire time... then that had to have meant that he witnessed her little display with Ron's bracelet?

Her hands came up to cover her face as she whimpered softly. There was a good chance that he had been witness to her little trick earlier. A low groan escaped her throat. The day had started out so wonderfully, and ever since her discovery earlier that afternoon, it had just gotten progressively worse.

This, not being an exception to any rule, sadly...

There was only one other person who knew of her ability to perform controlled wandless magic. She cursed herself for not taking care to guard her secret better. Suddenly, one of the large ornate double doors to the Great Hall flew open and two giggling yet very amorous fifth year Hufflepuffs came stumbling out.

Inhaling sharply, Hermione did her best to right her appearance and suppress a few sniffles. The young man continued to paw clumsily at the young girl until she suddenly stopped short at the sight of Hermione. This caused the young man to look up, both of them staring at Hermione with frightened eyes.

"Just go," Hermione said with a sigh.

Not needing to hear anything else, both scurried across the corridor and down the stairs, presumably headed to the Hufflepuff dormitories. Hermione just shook her head as her eyes fell on the now closed doors leading into the Great Hall. The feast was still going on though it would more than likely be ending soon.

Growling underneath her breath, she couldn't help the fresh wave of anger that seemed to flood her at that moment in time. She knew that she probably shouldn't have let Ron and Harry keep her from the feast; it wasn't as if she was the one at fault. However, the hurt was still there and still too new, she'd have to deal with them come Monday. Might as well enjoy the weekend - she thought to herself.

Giving the doors one last longing glance she then turned and made her way towards Gryffindor Tower. Arriving at the staircases, she couldn't help but look at them wearily before resigning to climb them while praying that they didn't decide to change while she was on them. She had no desire to play musical staircases that evening in order to get back to Gryffindor Tower.

As she stepped up to the give the password, she heaved a heavy sigh when she found the woman within the painting dozing lightly. Rolling her eyes heavenward, she tried clearing her throat politely, and the painting still slept on. Growling softly under her breath, she tried it again only a little louder. She knew from past experience that one had to handle the lady within this particular painting carefully. If you got her angry enough, she'd lock you out for the night.

After a few more minutes of trying, the fat lady snorted an un-lady like snort as she came awake. Sniffing demurely, she shifted and settled herself before deciding to take notice of Hermione who was trying to wait as patiently as possible to give the password.

"Pass... my, my... dear girl, have you taken a look in the mirror lately?" she asked snottily.

"I'd just like to get inside...please," Hermione gritted out, not really looking to get into an argument with the painting that particular evening.

"You look as though you've been dragged through the mud girl..." she continued on as if Hermione had never spoken until she was abruptly cut off.

"I am in no mood for you to critique my looks this evening, so if you would just please allow me inside, I'll be on my way."

"Password," the painting drawled, her eyes rolling heavenward.

"Balderdash."

And with that, the painting swung open, and Hermione made her way into the Gryffindor common room. Scanning the space quickly, it was easy to see that no one had returned yet from the feast which suited her just fine. Sighing softly, she slowly made her way across the room and headed up the winding stairs to the girls' dormitories.

When reaching the fifth level, instead of entering through the main door which would lead into the fifth year dormitories, she moved to a fairly well hidden door just to the right. No one would even take notice to it unless they knew it was there. Stepping up to the door and with a few whispered words, it swung open.

She was greeted with a soft mew from Crooks who had decided to take up residence at the foot of her bed. Sighing softly, she dropped her cloak right onto Crookshanks who mewed and hissed angrily before finding his way out from underneath the heavy cloth.

Hermione barely paid him any mind as she continued to undress. Switching out of her dress robes, she tugged on a pair of Muggle track pants and tank top. She then gently tugged on her hair and it tumbled from her carefully done plaits to fall around the column of her throat and shoulders in soft thick locks. Flopping down on the bed, she let out a breath and patted the space next to her. After a moment's hesitation, Crooks hopped up on to the bed, accepting her silent apology.

Turning to lie on her back as she lazily ran her fingers through her familiar's thick fur, she couldn't help but be grateful Halloween fell on a Friday this year. The weekend meant not having to deal with professors but her peers as well. That weekend was also a Hogsmeade weekend. Hogwarts would blessedly be almost student free during the day as all years were allowed to go to Hogsmeade except for the first.

She then began mentally making a list as to what she'd need in town that weekend. It was mostly sweets from Honeydukes, as she was running low on her study snacks. It was funny really, being that her parents were both dentists, yet she had a terrible sweet tooth that could rival Dumbledore's any day of the week. Her eyes widened when she remembered that she had received another package from her parents that morning when the post had arrived at breakfast.

She'd have to stop in at Dumbledore's office tomorrow morning and request a special pass to make a short trip to Diagon Alley. Sadly, she had to now make a trip to Gringotts; perhaps she could stop in at Flourish and Blotts while she was there. The last time she had been there, she hadn't been able to purchase anything but the required reading material.

It was Crooks' soft purring as he snuggled up against her side that broke her train of thought. Sighing, she rolled onto her side and curled her body around him. Whispering a charm, the lights dimmed before flickering out, leaving only the low light of the night sky that shimmered in past the gossamer-like drapes.

... ::: ...

Dark eyes glittered thoughtfully as he continued to contemplate the young Muggle-born witch. For the longest time, she had been nothing more than the annoying, bushy-haired, large-toothed, glory-seeking Gryffindor.

Now, suddenly that was all changing. Her actions earlier as he followed her through the halls were peculiar at best. She was literally singing softly to herself as she all but floated down the corridors. If it weren't for the gentle click of her heels and the quick breaths she took as the melody flowed from her lips, she could've been mistaken for a spirit.

Then, of course, there was her rather impressive display of wandless magic. It wasn't as if wandless magic was completely uncommon. Far from it, when emotions were running high almost any witch or wizard was able to perform some variation of wandless magic. It was just that it was totally uncontrolled and beyond unpredictable, but judging from the Miss Grangers' performance earlier, that wasn't so in her case.

It really shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise though. Even from the moment the young girl stepped foot in Hogwarts, she had been reading and soaking up knowledge like a proverbial sponge. Her first Potions lesson should've been a clue as to the potential lying within the young witch. Even after his favoritism towards his own House and the downright harassment and mockery of Gryffindor House, she still was genuinely very interested in Potions.

He never really made himself available to any student let alone her outside the classroom. Yet, she still managed to have a firm grasp on all of the material, even the extra material he provided on occasion. When most would just not comprehend it at all, nor would they really make the effort to, she absorbed all of it and was still hungry for more.

His train of thought began to shift and bend, thinking about the different possibilities of making himself more available to her. Of course, it would only be to her alone. It might even be refreshing to have someone to converse with that actually had a decent understanding of the subject, he thought to himself, when suddenly, his head jerked back in something akin to disgust. Just because she has a good mind and has the makings of a great Potions mistress doesn't mean that I should have to change my teaching methods for her. Her intellect is something to respect and even perhaps be in awe of but in the end all she is a glory-seeking Gryffindor, he thought disdainfully.

Sighing heavily, he cursed himself for spending so much of the evening contemplating one of his students, one of his least favored at that. However, he couldn't help but be concerned about her more than peculiar behavior. Her wandering the halls alone on the night of the Halloween feast was strange in itself. Then her body language and facial expressions were empty at best. It was almost as if she wasn't really there, as if she had escaped to some place deep within her mind, and she was merely going through the motions.

Then of course there was her tears and magical display in the tower when she believed she was alone, followed by her conversation with him not to long after. It wasn't as if she was talking back to him, but she did have somewhat of a defiant quality in her voice and stature. Although he was the head of Slytherin House and supposedly "The Evil Potions Professor," she still spoke to him with a modicum of respect.

Giving one last fleeting glance to just past the tower's large windows where the small fireworks display had erupted earlier, he swept from the room in a swirl of darkened robes. He knew that though the feast was still going on, Albus was more than likely locked within his office wading though paperwork or whatever else needed to be taken care of.

He quickly made his way down the stone spiral staircase only to be stopped by a large mewing cat at the bottom: Mrs. Norris. He couldn't help but roll his eyes heavenward, that could only mean that Filch wasn't that far behind, and sure enough, the Squib of a caretaker appeared with two very contrite looking fifth year Hufflepuffs at his heels.

"Ah, Professor Snape, I've been lookin' for ya. I found these two down near your dungeons. Gettin' a bit hands on they was... if ya know what I mean," he said with a sneer that passed for something akin to a sinister smile on his lips.

Severus brought himself up to his full height while regally crossing his arms over his chest. He had to suppress the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes. Filch's favorite past time was to find students who were looking for a little alone time and humiliate them. Normally, he would've just sent him and his mangy looking cat on their way but since he had more pressing matters to deal with than two hormone driven teenagers, he decided to let Filch handle their punishment.

"Twenty points from Hufflepuff each, and you will not return to the feast. You will spend the rest of the evening doing whatever Mr. Filch tells you. I trust you will not repeat this act in the future," he said with a heavy sigh before stalking off into the shadows down the hall.

Arriving in front of the large stone gargoyle, Severus couldn't help but roll his eyes as he spoke the password, "candy coated cockroaches" – Not waiting for the passage to open all the way he ducked his head and slipped inside. The office was dimly lit as his eyes quickly scanned the space; to his surprise, Fawkes was dozing lightly. Clearing his throat politely, Albus Dumbledore's eyes found his as they twinkled brightly.

"Good evening, Severus, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he asked calmly.

"I fear something might be wrong with Miss Granger," he said, deciding there was no sense in dancing around the issue.

This seemed to gain the Headmasters' full attention, and he put down his book before folding his hands together in his lap. Nodding to the younger man, he indicated for him to take a seat and then continue on with his story.

"This evening as I was working in my lab I heard strange sounds coming from the corridors. I shrugged it off at first every student was supposed to be at the Halloween feast. However, it wasn't just the sound of someone walking around, I stepped out into the hall to reprimand whomever it was but what I saw caused me to pause... It was Miss Granger, but, there was something very off about her. She was dressed quite formally, almost as if she should've been in attendance at the feast but, then decided not to go; but, it was her singing that truly has me perplexed..." He trailed off lost in thought.

"Why is that?" Albus asked quietly his eyes now contemplative.

"Well it was... the song was extremely sad sounding, mournful almost. As if she had lost something very dear to her. Her facial expression was one that could've frightened the dead, it was blank... empty... almost as if she had retreated somewhere deep in the recess of her mind. I don't know why, but I followed her. She finally ended up in the Astronomy Tower where she just began to sob uncontrollably... but then as soon as she started, she stopped again..."

"What happened next, Severus?" Albus prompted when he saw that the Potions master had become lost in the memory once more.

"She had a piece of jewelry... looked almost like a bracelet, a simple silver bracelet. Though she held it as if it was once her world, suddenly she just tossed out the window, and with a few whispered words and the wave of her hand, it burst and shattered... like bright falling stars... I've never seen anything like it." He finished with a tinge of awe in his voice.

Albus leaned back in his seat and just hummed softly to himself. He had a good idea as to what was going on, but it was Hermione's story to tell. He knew he'd have to give the Potions professor something to keep him quiet and calm but not too much, it just wasn't his place.

"What do you think is going on, Albus?" he asked point blank.

"I fear that is Hermione's story to tell; just know this, Severus, right now, Miss Granger is going through a bit of a rough spell. It'll pass... eventually. She may not act herself for a little while yet. I know she is... how shall I put this? Less than one of your favorite people but, she is still a person... don't push her too hard," Albus said softly.

"Albus... what on earth is going on?" he asked now more curious than ever. He figured it might be some spell or some ridiculous adolescent melodrama but from the way the Headmaster was talking, it sounded as if some very serious problems were surrounding Hogwarts' resident know-it-all.

"Severus... why are you suddenly so concerned with Miss Granger's well being?" Albus asked, a small smile curling on his lips. Severus' eyes widened as he stiffly jumped to his feet.

"I do not know what you are implying, sir, but I can promise you that you are off the mark," he hissed angrily before sweeping from the room, leaving an icy air lingering behind him.

He continued to berate himself as he swiftly made his way down and back into his dungeons. Coming to a halt in front of a large ornate painting of one of Salazar Slytherin's assistants, Damien Fitzwater, who smiled cruelly and hissed out, "password."

Severus rolled his eyes and bit out, "Pureblood, now open up, you bloody painting." Not wanting to have a Stunning Spell cast on him for the evening, the painting immediately swung open.

Stalking inside, he carelessly let his thick cloak slide off his shoulders and onto a nearby chair where it fell in a rumpled heap. Sighing heavily, he retrieved a bottle of firewhisky and a tumbler before settling himself in front of the hearth. With a flick of his wrist, a burst of flames appeared before they settled back down creating a comforting fire.

Pouring the amber liquid into the glass, he stared at it for a moment, before knocking back the glass and filling it again. Dark eyes stared thoughtfully into the dancing flames in front of him. His tongue darted out to lick a few stray droplets that had lingered on his lower lip.

It was then he remembered the few outside ventures brewing in his private lab. Groaning softly, he unfolded his large frame from the chair. He slowly made his way into the next room moving about with ease. He still had a few days yet before he could bottle the concoction, needing a full thirty days to ferment and it being only day twenty.

He just needed something to do with his hands, something to keep his mind occupied. Frustrated with himself for not being able to remove the young Gryffindor from his head, he stormed out of his lab in a huff. He began to pace the floor, growling softly to himself. There was no need for him to go see Albus so quickly; he just wasn't thinking straight, but there was just something so very off with the girl.

He couldn't help but groan loudly at his train of thought – Gods and goblins, I'm doing it again, I've got to get out of here – and with that he stalked out of his rooms and out of the bowels of the castle. With quick, sure steps, he made his way across the lush lawn and towards the Forbidden Forest.

He knew that he was out dressed only in his frock coat and robes, having left his cloak in his chambers. Whispering a few charms, his long shoulder length hair tied itself into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. Smiling softly to himself, he took off at a run into the trees disappearing from sight.

When suddenly, a beautiful large black bird broke free from the forest canopy and made its way into the darkness of the night, never noticing the smiling eyes watching him the entire time.

End of Chapter Two

Author Note: Yes, Severus has an Animagus form for those of you that didn't get that. As to Whether or not he's registered with the Ministry remains yet to be seen. As to what's going on with Hermione, we'll find out little bits of information as the chapters go on. I promise you, it'll all eventually fall into place ^_^

Next: It's the morning after [Saturday]. We catch up with Harry and Ron while Hermione makes a list and has a meeting with Dumbledore.