Kiss The Serpent
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
17
Views:
32,831
Reviews:
189
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
9
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
17
Views:
32,831
Reviews:
189
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
9
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Saturday
Disclaimer: Have transfigured J K Rowlings characters for the duration. Don’t own anything here but the plot…and I’m not even sure I own the plot.
This story is Pre-HBP. Sorry but I cannot live in a world without Dumbledore, so that makes this AU. Technically all fanfic is AU though (IMO) so there you have it.
*****************
Chapter 1 Saturday
Severus Snape stalked the darkened corridors of Hogwarts castle in an unusual state of agitation. Was Draco telling the truth? He distractedly ran long fingers through his hair, his eyes narrowed in concentration. His black locks were in the same disarray as his thoughts. If I don’t find a way around this, Lucius will see me dead.
Did Lucius make up the prophecy to frame me? Could it be real? Damn Lucius for an opportunist!
Draco had returned to the castle a day early and made straight for the dungeons. The words that Draco had spoken only hours before now rang in his ears:
“Solitary serpent within the Dark Circle and yet not part of it. Untouched by womanly love. Both hated and beloved by the enemy of the Serpentine Lord. Unwilling enemy and ultimate betrayer. Silence this foe lest all that Dark Magic desires be lost and the re-born Lord rendered unto dust.”
‘Solitary serpent’ could apply to half the Slytherins of the inner circle, including me, he thought. But ‘hated AND loved by the enemy of the Serpentine Lord’? Well, my enmity with Potter is common knowledge, as is Dumbledore’s affection for me. He resisted the urge to rub a hand over his eyes. ‘Unwilling enemy’, ‘within the Dark Circle and yet not part of it’. It all applies and yet could refer to any number of his Death Eaters.
‘Untouched by womanly love…’ Severus’ stomach lurched. That will be the giveaway, he thought morosely. Gods! Could I be this ‘ultimate betrayer’? It may be nice to know that I have the power to bring about the defeat of the Dark Lord, but once Lucius brings this to light it won’t matter whether it is genuinely referring to me or not. My life will be forfeit. By Merlin, I hate prophecies.
Albus. I have to talk to Albus.
He had no time to waste. It was after curfew and the corridors were silent. Immediately, his feet led him towards the archway which would take him to the Headmaster’s office.
There he found Albus Dumbledore, seated at his desk, absently swirling memories in an ancient Pensieve, when the wards chimed to indicate a visitor. Severus stood motionless in the doorway, courtesy dictating he wait for Albus to withdraw his attention from the shimmering mists within the bowl before him. In the meantime, Severus tried to recover his composure.
“Come in, Severus,” Albus invited, sitting back finally and indicating the comfortable chair in front of his desk.
Severus stalked into the room, ignoring the invitation to sit, and instead began to pace backwards and forwards in front of the merrily blazing fire. He was grateful that Albus waited patiently for him to find the words to explain the source of his agitation. Finally he stopped in the centre of the room and, turning to face Albus with a look of uncharacteristic vulnerability on his face, declared, “Headmaster, I have a problem.”
Albus once again indicated the chair opposite him, and this time Severus complied, slumping into the chair with a sigh and rubbing his hands over the back of his neck in restless frustration. He was unaware that the lack of signature sarcasm and his open display of emotion were disturbing the Headmaster more than anything he might actually say.
Severus considered the best way to describe the prophecy before placing the tip of his wand to his right temple. He stopped and raised one eyebrow questioningly at the Headmaster. Albus nodded and pushed the heavy Pensieve across the tabletop. Severus withdrew his wand, drawing from his temple a long silvery strand of memory, which he added to the Pensieve and then slumped back into his chair to wait.
Albus entered the Pensieve without question and the room was silent for several minutes while he observed the memory of Severus’ disturbing conversation with Draco. When Albus withdrew again, his concern was evident on his face.
“Are you certain about the wording of the Prophecy, Severus?” he asked.
“Yes, Headmaster. Draco told it to me exactly as Lucius told it to him.”
Albus, rested his chin upon steepled fingers, and let his unfocussed gaze fall on the far wall. “Solitary serpent…untouched by woman’s love…unwilling thief…” Albus mused quietly. “Tell me, Severus, why is it that Lucius believes you fit this description? ‘Solitary serpent’ and ‘unwilling thief’, these are vagaries that could refer to several members of Voldemort’s followers including you, yes? And I can see how you might fit the other parts of the description. But ‘untouched by womanly love’, how does this apply?”
Severus was silent in his chair for a long moment, staring at his outstretched legs.
“I remain a virgin, Headmaster.” His voice was soft and the words barely reached Dumbledore’s old ears.
“Well,” Albus’ voice was expressionless, ”that does present a unique problem, indeed”. He paused, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.
“And Lucius is planning to present the prophecy, and you as its most likely candidate, to Voldemort at the next Revel?”
“Yes, Headmaster. Fourteen days hence.”
“Severus, the wording of this ‘prophecy’ is obscure, as is the natural way of these things. As divination is an inexact science, it is also accepted that each part of a prophecy holds equal weight. Therefore, all we really need to do is clearly disprove ONE of the descriptives in order to discredit the whole. The only problem is that several of them are so obscure as to be virtually impossible to counter.”
Albus was musing almost to himself. Severus tried to contain his impatience while the old wizard thought out loud.
“Indeed the only one we could satisfactorily change would be…” He pinned the dark-haired man with his speculative gaze. ”Severus, have you considered that by removing the obstacle of your virginity you also remove yourself from suspicion?”
Severus raised disbelieving black eyes and heaved in a great breath.
“Headmaster, I…when I first joined the ranks of the Death Eaters, I was…unusual in that I had never lain with a woman. It suited the Dark Lord that I remain untouched and separate to the normal activities of the Revels for my ‘virgin’s blood willingly given’ provided many dark potions to him and his Death Eaters. He found that too valuable to lose. After the fall of the Dark Lord, the need for my virgin blood diminished, but I must admit that circumstances and… lack of opportunity have dictated it easier for me to remain chaste.”
Albus regarded him steadily.
Severus sighed and thrust one hand through his already unruly hair and stood up in agitation. He once again began to pace the room.
“Must I spell it out for you, Albus?’ he demanded brusquely. “I do not precisely have women queuing up for the honour of gracing my bed! Indeed, I am not sure I could believably organize such an event before the next Revel fourteen days from now. Perhaps—” Severus hesitated momentarily, “perhaps it is time to remove me from the inner circle.” He scowled, thinking of what had happened to the last Death Eater who had tried to run. Karkaroff was now dead.
Dumbledore stared at the dark-haired man standing almost defeated before him.
“Is that what you wish to do?” His voice was solemn.
“No!” Severus snapped. “I want to see this ended. There is no one in the Order closer to the inner circle than I. Were I to give up now, it would be...ruinous for us all.”
Dumbledore stroked his long beard.
“Well, then we must consider the alternative. Surely there is some woman of your acquaintance you might consider for the - er- undertaking?”
“No, Headmaster. All the women I know are either Death Eaters, teaching at this school, or engaged elsewhere,” Severus sighed. “You know as well as I that I could not endanger a woman outside of the Order”. He shook his head. “And a trip to Knockturn Alley would be too out of character, given my history. Lucius would never believe that I happened by chance to choose this moment to visit a brothel. If I am too unsubtle in resolving this matter I may cause trouble for Draco. He gave me this information to protect me …and further his own ends, I daresay. Still I am grateful and I will not repay him by betraying to Lucius that I was informed in advance. Lucius would not be pleased.”
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. “Therefore we must locate a suitable, willing candidate who falls within the realm of possibility... unless we can think of some other way to discredit the prophecy. I shall think on it and speak to you again tomorrow, after the meeting of the Order.”
“Thank you, Headmaster.” Severus inclined his head thoughtfully. “May I rely on your confidentiality until this matter is resolved?”
“Of course, Severus! Though I may make some discreet inquiries, you may rely on my absolute diplomacy.”
**********
As always, please review. Is this story working so far?
This story is Pre-HBP. Sorry but I cannot live in a world without Dumbledore, so that makes this AU. Technically all fanfic is AU though (IMO) so there you have it.
*****************
Chapter 1 Saturday
Severus Snape stalked the darkened corridors of Hogwarts castle in an unusual state of agitation. Was Draco telling the truth? He distractedly ran long fingers through his hair, his eyes narrowed in concentration. His black locks were in the same disarray as his thoughts. If I don’t find a way around this, Lucius will see me dead.
Did Lucius make up the prophecy to frame me? Could it be real? Damn Lucius for an opportunist!
Draco had returned to the castle a day early and made straight for the dungeons. The words that Draco had spoken only hours before now rang in his ears:
“Solitary serpent within the Dark Circle and yet not part of it. Untouched by womanly love. Both hated and beloved by the enemy of the Serpentine Lord. Unwilling enemy and ultimate betrayer. Silence this foe lest all that Dark Magic desires be lost and the re-born Lord rendered unto dust.”
‘Solitary serpent’ could apply to half the Slytherins of the inner circle, including me, he thought. But ‘hated AND loved by the enemy of the Serpentine Lord’? Well, my enmity with Potter is common knowledge, as is Dumbledore’s affection for me. He resisted the urge to rub a hand over his eyes. ‘Unwilling enemy’, ‘within the Dark Circle and yet not part of it’. It all applies and yet could refer to any number of his Death Eaters.
‘Untouched by womanly love…’ Severus’ stomach lurched. That will be the giveaway, he thought morosely. Gods! Could I be this ‘ultimate betrayer’? It may be nice to know that I have the power to bring about the defeat of the Dark Lord, but once Lucius brings this to light it won’t matter whether it is genuinely referring to me or not. My life will be forfeit. By Merlin, I hate prophecies.
Albus. I have to talk to Albus.
He had no time to waste. It was after curfew and the corridors were silent. Immediately, his feet led him towards the archway which would take him to the Headmaster’s office.
There he found Albus Dumbledore, seated at his desk, absently swirling memories in an ancient Pensieve, when the wards chimed to indicate a visitor. Severus stood motionless in the doorway, courtesy dictating he wait for Albus to withdraw his attention from the shimmering mists within the bowl before him. In the meantime, Severus tried to recover his composure.
“Come in, Severus,” Albus invited, sitting back finally and indicating the comfortable chair in front of his desk.
Severus stalked into the room, ignoring the invitation to sit, and instead began to pace backwards and forwards in front of the merrily blazing fire. He was grateful that Albus waited patiently for him to find the words to explain the source of his agitation. Finally he stopped in the centre of the room and, turning to face Albus with a look of uncharacteristic vulnerability on his face, declared, “Headmaster, I have a problem.”
Albus once again indicated the chair opposite him, and this time Severus complied, slumping into the chair with a sigh and rubbing his hands over the back of his neck in restless frustration. He was unaware that the lack of signature sarcasm and his open display of emotion were disturbing the Headmaster more than anything he might actually say.
Severus considered the best way to describe the prophecy before placing the tip of his wand to his right temple. He stopped and raised one eyebrow questioningly at the Headmaster. Albus nodded and pushed the heavy Pensieve across the tabletop. Severus withdrew his wand, drawing from his temple a long silvery strand of memory, which he added to the Pensieve and then slumped back into his chair to wait.
Albus entered the Pensieve without question and the room was silent for several minutes while he observed the memory of Severus’ disturbing conversation with Draco. When Albus withdrew again, his concern was evident on his face.
“Are you certain about the wording of the Prophecy, Severus?” he asked.
“Yes, Headmaster. Draco told it to me exactly as Lucius told it to him.”
Albus, rested his chin upon steepled fingers, and let his unfocussed gaze fall on the far wall. “Solitary serpent…untouched by woman’s love…unwilling thief…” Albus mused quietly. “Tell me, Severus, why is it that Lucius believes you fit this description? ‘Solitary serpent’ and ‘unwilling thief’, these are vagaries that could refer to several members of Voldemort’s followers including you, yes? And I can see how you might fit the other parts of the description. But ‘untouched by womanly love’, how does this apply?”
Severus was silent in his chair for a long moment, staring at his outstretched legs.
“I remain a virgin, Headmaster.” His voice was soft and the words barely reached Dumbledore’s old ears.
“Well,” Albus’ voice was expressionless, ”that does present a unique problem, indeed”. He paused, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.
“And Lucius is planning to present the prophecy, and you as its most likely candidate, to Voldemort at the next Revel?”
“Yes, Headmaster. Fourteen days hence.”
“Severus, the wording of this ‘prophecy’ is obscure, as is the natural way of these things. As divination is an inexact science, it is also accepted that each part of a prophecy holds equal weight. Therefore, all we really need to do is clearly disprove ONE of the descriptives in order to discredit the whole. The only problem is that several of them are so obscure as to be virtually impossible to counter.”
Albus was musing almost to himself. Severus tried to contain his impatience while the old wizard thought out loud.
“Indeed the only one we could satisfactorily change would be…” He pinned the dark-haired man with his speculative gaze. ”Severus, have you considered that by removing the obstacle of your virginity you also remove yourself from suspicion?”
Severus raised disbelieving black eyes and heaved in a great breath.
“Headmaster, I…when I first joined the ranks of the Death Eaters, I was…unusual in that I had never lain with a woman. It suited the Dark Lord that I remain untouched and separate to the normal activities of the Revels for my ‘virgin’s blood willingly given’ provided many dark potions to him and his Death Eaters. He found that too valuable to lose. After the fall of the Dark Lord, the need for my virgin blood diminished, but I must admit that circumstances and… lack of opportunity have dictated it easier for me to remain chaste.”
Albus regarded him steadily.
Severus sighed and thrust one hand through his already unruly hair and stood up in agitation. He once again began to pace the room.
“Must I spell it out for you, Albus?’ he demanded brusquely. “I do not precisely have women queuing up for the honour of gracing my bed! Indeed, I am not sure I could believably organize such an event before the next Revel fourteen days from now. Perhaps—” Severus hesitated momentarily, “perhaps it is time to remove me from the inner circle.” He scowled, thinking of what had happened to the last Death Eater who had tried to run. Karkaroff was now dead.
Dumbledore stared at the dark-haired man standing almost defeated before him.
“Is that what you wish to do?” His voice was solemn.
“No!” Severus snapped. “I want to see this ended. There is no one in the Order closer to the inner circle than I. Were I to give up now, it would be...ruinous for us all.”
Dumbledore stroked his long beard.
“Well, then we must consider the alternative. Surely there is some woman of your acquaintance you might consider for the - er- undertaking?”
“No, Headmaster. All the women I know are either Death Eaters, teaching at this school, or engaged elsewhere,” Severus sighed. “You know as well as I that I could not endanger a woman outside of the Order”. He shook his head. “And a trip to Knockturn Alley would be too out of character, given my history. Lucius would never believe that I happened by chance to choose this moment to visit a brothel. If I am too unsubtle in resolving this matter I may cause trouble for Draco. He gave me this information to protect me …and further his own ends, I daresay. Still I am grateful and I will not repay him by betraying to Lucius that I was informed in advance. Lucius would not be pleased.”
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. “Therefore we must locate a suitable, willing candidate who falls within the realm of possibility... unless we can think of some other way to discredit the prophecy. I shall think on it and speak to you again tomorrow, after the meeting of the Order.”
“Thank you, Headmaster.” Severus inclined his head thoughtfully. “May I rely on your confidentiality until this matter is resolved?”
“Of course, Severus! Though I may make some discreet inquiries, you may rely on my absolute diplomacy.”
**********
As always, please review. Is this story working so far?