Dance with the Devil

Disclaimer: Yeah, right. In my dreams. See the other chapters.

Chapter Fourteen: The Devil’s Advocate

Crushed once again against the breast of an ardent well-wisher, Hermione wondered where all this love and affection had been when she had truly needed it – the dark days of catatonia after Harry’s murder. It was all she could do not to pull back and punch the nose of the happy Weasley who now embraced her. Instead, she extradited herself, mouthed platitudes to Ginny and looked longingly at the door which Severus had limped through, following Draco and his unconscious bundle.

“… although I still don’t see why you didn’t choose Percy.”

Hermione, having caught the end of Ginny’s longwinded speech, turned with shocked wide eyes towards the youngest Weasley.

“What?” she gasped out.

“Percy,” Ginny repeated as Ron loomed up once again to wrap an arm around Hermione’s shoulder. “We’ve all been wondering why didn’t you just accept him instead of allowing yourself to be put up for auction?”

Incredulous, and momentarily speechless, Hermione fought off the urge to violently shrug Ron’s arm off her.

“I mean, I know it would have been difficult,” Ginny continued blithely, “what with you and Ron and everything, but honestly, Hermione … Snape?”

“Yeah, as much of a prat as Percy is, he’s better than that!” Ron interjected bitterly. “It’s disgusting!”

“Aside from him being Snape and hating us all, he’s old,” Fred concurred with his younger brother.

The looks of disgust were mirrored on the faces of those surrounding them.

“You think,” Hermione began slowly, “that Percy was a better option for me?”

“Yes.”

“Of course!”

“Without a doubt.”

Hermione looked around at the faces surrounding her. They all belonged to Weasleys.

“So, you would prefer that I had ended up like Penelope Clearwater, rather than have accepted Severus Snape?” she asked for clarification.

Everyone looked shocked.

“What do you mean, Hermione?” Charlie Weasley queried suspiciously.

“What do you mean, what do I mean?” she countered.

“Penelope was cut up by a Death Eater after she had rejected Percy!” Ginny answered.

Looking at them all, Hermione saw this belief mirrored on all their faces.

“Where’s everyone else?” she asked suddenly, wanting to avoid confrontation until she could speak properly to her husband.

“Everyone else who?” Fred asked just before his twin overrode him.

“Don’t change the subject,” George spat out, angrily.

“The rest of the Order,” Hermione continued, ignoring George.

Ron squeezed her shoulder pressing himself even closer to her as he glared at his angry brother.

“We thought you might need time to readjust,” Ron said softly into her ear. “You know, to everything, so we …”

“Three months hasn’t been enough?” was her acidic retort as she succumbed to her desire and shrugged Ron’s arm off her shoulder. “I assure you, I’m fully cognizant and accustomed to the new wizarding world. Where is the rest of the Order?”

All the Weasley children looked at her, identical expressions of shock on their faces.

“There is more, isn’t there?” she asked, the beginnings of hysteria bubbling up inside her.

Bill Weasley, his scars now faded to white, nodded slowly. “They’re all through there,” he affirmed, motioning through a door opposite to the one that Severus and Draco had disappeared through.

Nodding curtly, Hermione pushed through them and strode over to the door. She felt slightly guilty at the anger and hatred she was feeling towards them but was unable to push it aside and pretend all was well. Hand on the doorknob, she paused and addressed them all, facing the door.

“Did you ever find my cat?”

As they all replied negatively, she pushed open the door and walked through.

The Weasley siblings all stood there, silent until the door closed.

“Well?” Ron spat out, turning to Bill.

“She is covered with spells,” the eldest Weasley child affirmed. “But I don’t think any of them are mind-altering ones. They seem to be more protective in nature.”

Ginny snorted.

“But Snape’s clever,” Charlie interjected, “and he knows more Dark Arts than you do, Bill. He could have disguised the spells.”

“True, he could have,” Bill conceded.

“Bet he did,” Fred stated, watching his younger brother turn redder and redder.

“Ron,” George warned as he reached out to grasp his furious brother’s arm.

“The filthy bastard!” Ron exploded. “He’s the only one who let anyone near the house! He put a spell on her! It’s why she rejected Percy!”

“That’s not true,” Ginny softly contradicted. “Remus and Tonks often watched the…”

“Remus!” Ron whirled to face his sister. “What use is he? All he says is ‘watch and wait’! He’s an …”

“Asset to the Order and I suggest you be quiet right now, Ronald Weasley!” Molly Weasley stridently interrupted, removing the Invisibility Spell she had placed on herself and her husband.

“Yes,” Arthur concurred.

“Sorry,” Ron mumbled, before his anger rose up again. “But something…”

“Is definitely wrong with Hermione, I agree,” his mother once again completed his sentence for him. “Don’t worry, dear. We’ll figure it all out.”

All the Weasleys nodded enthusiastically.

Except for George.

He was too busy gazing at the door where Draco had disappeared earlier.

*~*~*~*

Hermione stormed down the hallway, desperately trying to sort out her tattered emotions. Together with her pregnancy ravaged hormones and the image of a bruised and battered Minerva McGonagall, facing the Weasleys and their belief in Percy was all too much for her. Once again pausing before a locked door, she realised the only person she wanted to see was Severus. Even though she knew he probably wouldn’t tell her what was going on, she felt safer near him.

Turning, she prepared to go back to try and find him when the door behind her was wrenched open.

“Wotcher, Hermione!”

With a mental sigh of anguish, Hermione turned back to be confronted by a very pregnant Nymphadora Tonks.

“You’re pregnant!” she sputtered.

Tonks looked at Hermione assessingly.

“So are you,” she responded, eyebrows raised. “Well, well, well. Whose is it then?”

“What?” Hermione replied, horrified.

“Must be Draco,” Tonks continued cheerfully. “Don’t blame you! He is a bit of a dish! And after what he wrote to Ginny in the book – whoa! Talk about HOT!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Draco and Ginny. Didn’t you know? Molly intercepted a message from Draco, all about what he wanted to do to his little Weasel – referred to himself as the big ferret – and boy, did Ron wig out completely! Harry’s ex-girl canoodling with Draco. Let me say …”

“Draco’s not into girls,” Hermione blurted out, belatedly wishing she had kept her mouth shut.

“… if he ever wants … What?” Tonks broke off.

“And since I’m married to Severus, it’s pretty obvious who the baby’s father is,” Hermione continued, her anger growing.

Tonks gaped. “You shagged Snape? That traitorous git? But Ron said that Snape said he wouldn’t touch you with a barge pole!”

It was Hermione’s turn to gape.

“When did he say that?” she gasped out.

“Well, he wrote it. In the book – you do know about the book, don’t you?” At Hermione’s confirmation, Tonks continued. “Well, just after you went off with Snape, Ron got hold of it and told him to leave you alone and then Snape wrote all this stuff about how unattractive you are and, well, you know…”

Tonks trailed off at the anger suffusing Hermione’s face and shaking her body.

“Look, come in and …” she began, drawing Hermione into the room and sitting her down in a soft armchair.

The door opened again and all the Weasleys trooped in.

“Now, Bill!” Ron ordered.

Bill fired spell after spell at Hermione, who sat momentarily paralysed by shock in the chair.

“Done!” the curse-breaker pronounced triumphantly as all the Weasleys whooped in victory.

Tonks, who had moved away and was leaning against another door, watched Hermione warily.

“And what,” Severus Snape bit out, “have you done to my wife?”

With a squeal, Tonks leapt away from the door and the dark wizard who now filled it.

“Released her from your mind controlling spell!” Ron spat out. “She’s free now!”

Snape strode into the room and moved towards his wife, only to have Mr and Mrs Weasley plant themselves in front of her seated figure, ostensibly protecting her.

“No,” Arthur asserted. “She’s with us now, Severus. I don’t know what your plans with her were but …”

“Take me home,” came a whispered plea from behind the Weasley patriarch.

“Oh my dear,” simpered Molly, arms reaching out as she turned to comfort the stricken Hermione.

Hermione batted her arms away and pushed past to lean against her husband.

“I want to go,” she whispered, her body still shaking with suppressed anger.

Gently, Severus cradled her head in his hand before bending over and whispering in her ear, “It is too dangerous,” as Ron began berating Bill for failing to free Hermione.

Hermione nodded and, breathing in deeply, turned to face Tonks and the Weasleys.

“Shut up, Ron,” she ordered conversationally.

“Hermione, you don’t understand,” Ron tried to explain. “Snape has put you under a spell or something! While you were with your parents, he wouldn’t let anyone see you and it was only because Percy is now an undercover Death Eater that we could …”

“You are deluded,” Hermione asserted calmly, her voice belying her emotional state. “Severus Snape saved me and has continued to work to keep me safe at great personal risk. So has Draco. Both of them have risked their lives, their health and their sanity to help me and others. Percy, on the other hand, is your enemy.”

“No,” Ron forcefully stated. “You’re wrong. Percy has helped us more than Snape did.”

Hermione strode forward and thrust her face into his. “Do you even know what he did to Penelope Clearwater? He cut out her tongue! He still has it as some kind of trophy. And what he did to her body …”

“It’s a lie,” Molly screeched. “Percy didn’t do any of that! And we know who really did,” she concluded, drawing her wand and pointing it at Severus, who stood calmly watching as his wife battled the Weasleys.

“Molly,” Arthur warned, “don’t even try it! You know any spell thrown at him reflects back onto the caster!”

Reaching over, he divested his wife of her wand and turned to Hermione.

“You do not understand,” he informed her. “As soon as you left the auction with this traitor and we all returned here to the Haven, everyone in this room together with Remus have been imprisoned here. Why? We don’t know and every single time we ask, we are fobbed off with meaningless platitudes. I doubt even Minerva will be allowed to leave now he has her in his clutches.”

“Others have been allowed to leave, but never us,” Fred clarified angrily.

“If you are trapped here, it’s for your own good,” Hermione stated forcefully. “Either to ensure your own safety or the ultimate victory!”

“Well, pregnancy has certainly addled your mind,” Tonks bit out. “Might also explain your delusions about Draco too!”

“Pregnant?”

“Hermione!”

“Oh, no…”

“What about Draco?”

“Is this true, madam?” Snape’s question quieted the whole room.

Hermione turned to her husband.

“Yes, but I’m not meant to tell you about the baby until I’m a strong enough Occlumens,” she informed him.

“Who told you that?” he hissed, reaching out and grasping her arm.

“You did,” she replied softly. “Then you had the memory eradicated from your mind.”

As Snape continued to look at her blankly, she continued, “I think Minerva might know, or have known, which means that he may know now too.”

Severus caught her eyes and she allowed him to freely enter her mind.

“I cannot see,” he frowned just before doubling up in pain, clasping his hands to his head as he collapsed to the floor, moaning loudly.

“You see,” she spat at the remaining occupants of the room. “You see the sacrifices he makes!”

Racing over to him, she fumbled in his robes, finding a potion to pour down his throat.

“No,” Ginny responded. “All I know is Snape killed Dumbledore, he tricked us into believing in him again and, once he got you in his clutches, he imprisoned us here.”

“Then you’re all dunderheads,” Hermione responded.

“No, Hermione, that would be you,” came the gentle voice of Remus Lupin just before her world turned black.

*~*~*

Thanks again to the exceptional betas JuneW and GinnyW who give up so much of their time and energy to beta all this for me. And who are also informing me of the many ways they will torture me until I resolve this cliffy.

Thanks too to those who have taken the time to review. It\'s truly the only payment I get! LOL.

Sorry about the double chapter posting - I didn\'t do it and I have no idea how it happened!

Katelynxm - Good to *see* you again! And with a most excellent excuse for not reviewing *LOL* Thanks!!

Magical Heather - I don\'t think he will ... intentionally.

MudbloodMalfoy - Thankyou, but let me get this one finished first *LOL*

Kiwi - I hope you haven\'t died waiting for this chapter - enjoy! Hope the cliffy doesn\'t case you to expire ... again. *LOL*

Becky63 - He is the sorting out man - that\'s why we adore him! *LOL* Up off your knees now!

Fiona - Thank you - your review made me laugh. I believe all smut should be top quality! As for Hermione/Ron, sorry - HG/SS

glowing_haven - I\'ve updated so that you can sleep now, but I don\'t think you\'ll finding this ending very restful!

Mary/Medina - Nice to *see* you over here and WOW! another review to boot! You\'ll turn me into an even bigger review whore than I already am!