Bittersweet Symphony
folder
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
5
Views:
1,430
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
5
Views:
1,430
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
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.
Ch 3 - Shape
See chapter one for disclaimer
CHAPTER THREE - SHAPE
And you can easily gamble your life away
Second after second
And day by day
You play the game or you walk away
It\'s a new turn on a blue day
And a cool deal of life for me
And it\'s all good
Shape - Sugababes
Present Day
Hermione awoke to the sound of a quill scratching across parchment. She looked around and saw Severus hunched over his desk writing.
"What time is it?" she asked groggily, sitting up as she realised that she was still on his sofa, the book she had been reading the previous night placed on the table beside her, although she was sure she didn't put it there.
"It's still early," he replied without looking up.
"Today's the day then," she said quietly, shaking her head as though unable to believe what they were about to do.
"Yes Hermione, thank you as always for pointing out the obvious."
She ignored his comment and wandered over to his desk, putting her arms around his neck and peering over his shoulder, "What are you writing?" she asked.
He stood quickly and turned pushing her away and effectively blocking her sight from what he was writing. "Nothing that concerns you." He folded his arms across his chest. "What are you still doing here anyway? I'm sure that the "˜ungrateful wretch who lived' is having a fit about now because the brains of his operation is nowhere to be found."
Hermione smiled, stood on tiptoes and kissed him softly, "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me Severus," she said.
"Yes, well, blame it on lack of sleep," he replied dismissively.
Hermione grabbed her robes from the back of the sofa. "I should be going though, lots to do."
"Well do not let me stop you," he said turning away from her.
"I'll see you in the great hall for phase one then." she said patting his backside and turning to leave.
"Hermione?" he said suddenly, turning back to her,
She walked back and put her arms around him, holding him tight, "I'll be careful," she whispered.
He pushed her away again, "Make sure you are, I don't think I could stand Potter and Weasley's pathetic whining if anything happened to you," he muttered, but smiled sadly as he heard her laughter follow her out of the room.
~*~
Six Months Earlier
Hermione stepped into the darkened room and quietly shut the door behind her.
"What exactly do you think you are doing in here?" asked a voice from the darkness, making her jump.
"Damn Severus, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed as a small fire ignited in the grate on the far wall.
"Only nearly? What a pity," sneered Severus. He was sitting in an armchair, a drink held loosely in his hand. His eyes never left the fire even as Hermione walked over and plopped herself down in another chair.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked absently reaching out and pouring herself a drink.
He looked over at her, "What is wrong with me is that I am sick and tired of being the messenger in this bloody war, I have been cursed by one side and insulted by the other tonight and I came up here for some peace and quiet. Then you arrive to shatter them both and by the looks of it, drink all my alcohol. Why are you not downstairs with your leader planning your great victory?" he sneered.
He had been spiteful to her ever since she had left school and joined the order, just wanting to take his anger out on someone, and her being the easiest target, or so he had thought. She had surprised him one night by giving as good as she got and from that, they had become friends of a kind. They visited one another at least three times a week and their friendship worked well, as she ignored his every effort to be rude and snarky to her, and he put on a convincing act of intensive dislike towards her.
"He rushed off to bed, so I thought I'd come and find you," she said raising her glass to him with a smile before drinking deeply.
"Lucky me," muttered Severus.
She looked over at him and made a decision. She had been trying to find the right time to tell him that her feelings for him were changing. She knew that he wanted her; she had seen him watching her when he thought she didn't notice. But she was sick of waiting.
She set down her drink as she stood and closed the distance between them lifting the drink from his hand and putting it to one side as she straddled him and wriggled to get comfortable, "Aren't you pleased to see me?" she mock pouted.
If he was surprised by this turn of events, he did not show it. "Not especially," he said as he reached for his drink. She put a hand out to stop him and leaned forward to whisper in his ear,
"Now Severus, I can feel that that's a lie."
He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back hard causing her to gasp, "Tell me why I should put up with this outrageous behaviour?" he growled as he began to kiss her throat.
She smiled as she replied, "Take me to bed and I will."
~
"Severus?" she whispered, as they lay entwined in his bed,
"Mmm?" he mumbled, half asleep.
"I think Harry's hiding something."
"Well it's not his enormous ego, that's for certain."
"Severus! I'm serious."
"As will I be if you don't let me sleep you damn harpy," he moaned, but she gave a small smile as he tightened his grasp on her and mumbled, "We'll talk about it in the morning."
~
Unfortunately the next morning Severus was summoned to Voldemort. He arrived just as Voldemort stood to address his captive audience.
"My Death Eaters, I have called you here today to inform you of the plan to get our people back. I have enlisted the services of Harry Potter and his Order."
Severus looked at the dark wizard in front him in total disbelief "˜he'll be telling us that they're eloping next' he thought. There were a few outbursts of laughter from around the long table, which descended into silence when they realised that their leader was looking around the room at each of them with a deadly look on his face. "Did I say something amusing?" he hissed.
"My Lord, surely we misheard you, we are to join forces with Potter?" came a voice to the right of Severus.
"Yes, Lucius you heard me quite well, we need their resources and they need ours, I know you can all feel that our world has become unbalanced and that is the key to what has happened. We must do this."
"Never!" shrieked a voice from the table.
"Bella," said Voldemort, his red eyes looking down to his number two lieutenant and the only Death Eater to ever get away with anything lightly, "Do you not wish to see your dear husband again?"
"Not if that is price I have to pay for it, I would rather die," she spat, her dark eyes flashing.
"I would not," said a voice from further down the table.
"Shut up Rabastan, your brother would feel the same as I do, and accept his fate if this is the alternative," Bellatrix hissed down the table.
"Bella you are and always have been one of my favourites, you stayed true to me when many did not," Voldemort said, his eyes travelling around the room, "but if you try and fight me on this again you will get your wish and you will die. The same goes for everyone else in this room."
"Yes, my Lord," she said bowing her head in submission. She was mad but she wasn't stupid and she knew when she was on dangerous ground.
"I will call you when it is time, until then you are dismissed," said Voldemort leaving the room.
Severus sat at the end of the table staring at one of his master's retreating form. He had no idea what kind of game Voldemort was playing, but he knew he was acting completely insane this time, imagining that he could enlist the help of the Order.
Then he recalled Hermiones words about Harry hiding something. "Surely not," he muttered to himself. But even as he reached into his robes and felt the coin burning there to call him to his other master he knew that it was true. The light and dark were joining forces, "Merlin help us all," he groaned as he apparated.
~
By the time Severus arrived at Grimmauld place the whole kitchen was in uproar. Harry had called the meeting and obviously told them of the plan. Now, the entire Order, save for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Albus Dumbledore who, as Harry's main counsel had all been informed first, were standing and shouting, arguing amongst themselves.
Harry met Severus's eyes and raised his wand to the ceiling, letting off a loud bang that momentarily silenced the crowd.
"If it helps," drawled Severus, "Voldemort had to threaten his followers with death to get them to agree."
Everyone turned to look at him except Hermione who rolled her eyes and shook her head. Surprisingly Harry smiled, grateful for the older man's dark humour at that moment.
"I'll take it under advisement," he said, his eyes twinkling and for a moment Severus wondered if what Dumbledore had was catching, then he saw the young mans face grow serious as he calmly faced his army and said, "Sit down and shut up, all of you." As they did Severus knew that for all his faults, Harry Potter was still the best man for the job.
Harry outlined the rest of the plan in much the same way that Voldemort had but with much less threatening. He ended by saying, "We were always going to have to fight them face to face sooner or later. If it is a trap then it will be sooner."
There were mutterings around the table but no one was shouting anymore.
"What we need now is a base of operations that is large enough for both groups to work from," said Hermione looking around the room. "We're open to suggestions," she pushed.
"I think that I may be able to help with that." Everyone looked on in amazement as the ancient headmaster got to his feet and looked around at the Order, "I know just the place."
CHAPTER THREE - SHAPE
And you can easily gamble your life away
Second after second
And day by day
You play the game or you walk away
It\'s a new turn on a blue day
And a cool deal of life for me
And it\'s all good
Shape - Sugababes
Present Day
Hermione awoke to the sound of a quill scratching across parchment. She looked around and saw Severus hunched over his desk writing.
"What time is it?" she asked groggily, sitting up as she realised that she was still on his sofa, the book she had been reading the previous night placed on the table beside her, although she was sure she didn't put it there.
"It's still early," he replied without looking up.
"Today's the day then," she said quietly, shaking her head as though unable to believe what they were about to do.
"Yes Hermione, thank you as always for pointing out the obvious."
She ignored his comment and wandered over to his desk, putting her arms around his neck and peering over his shoulder, "What are you writing?" she asked.
He stood quickly and turned pushing her away and effectively blocking her sight from what he was writing. "Nothing that concerns you." He folded his arms across his chest. "What are you still doing here anyway? I'm sure that the "˜ungrateful wretch who lived' is having a fit about now because the brains of his operation is nowhere to be found."
Hermione smiled, stood on tiptoes and kissed him softly, "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me Severus," she said.
"Yes, well, blame it on lack of sleep," he replied dismissively.
Hermione grabbed her robes from the back of the sofa. "I should be going though, lots to do."
"Well do not let me stop you," he said turning away from her.
"I'll see you in the great hall for phase one then." she said patting his backside and turning to leave.
"Hermione?" he said suddenly, turning back to her,
She walked back and put her arms around him, holding him tight, "I'll be careful," she whispered.
He pushed her away again, "Make sure you are, I don't think I could stand Potter and Weasley's pathetic whining if anything happened to you," he muttered, but smiled sadly as he heard her laughter follow her out of the room.
~*~
Six Months Earlier
Hermione stepped into the darkened room and quietly shut the door behind her.
"What exactly do you think you are doing in here?" asked a voice from the darkness, making her jump.
"Damn Severus, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed as a small fire ignited in the grate on the far wall.
"Only nearly? What a pity," sneered Severus. He was sitting in an armchair, a drink held loosely in his hand. His eyes never left the fire even as Hermione walked over and plopped herself down in another chair.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked absently reaching out and pouring herself a drink.
He looked over at her, "What is wrong with me is that I am sick and tired of being the messenger in this bloody war, I have been cursed by one side and insulted by the other tonight and I came up here for some peace and quiet. Then you arrive to shatter them both and by the looks of it, drink all my alcohol. Why are you not downstairs with your leader planning your great victory?" he sneered.
He had been spiteful to her ever since she had left school and joined the order, just wanting to take his anger out on someone, and her being the easiest target, or so he had thought. She had surprised him one night by giving as good as she got and from that, they had become friends of a kind. They visited one another at least three times a week and their friendship worked well, as she ignored his every effort to be rude and snarky to her, and he put on a convincing act of intensive dislike towards her.
"He rushed off to bed, so I thought I'd come and find you," she said raising her glass to him with a smile before drinking deeply.
"Lucky me," muttered Severus.
She looked over at him and made a decision. She had been trying to find the right time to tell him that her feelings for him were changing. She knew that he wanted her; she had seen him watching her when he thought she didn't notice. But she was sick of waiting.
She set down her drink as she stood and closed the distance between them lifting the drink from his hand and putting it to one side as she straddled him and wriggled to get comfortable, "Aren't you pleased to see me?" she mock pouted.
If he was surprised by this turn of events, he did not show it. "Not especially," he said as he reached for his drink. She put a hand out to stop him and leaned forward to whisper in his ear,
"Now Severus, I can feel that that's a lie."
He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back hard causing her to gasp, "Tell me why I should put up with this outrageous behaviour?" he growled as he began to kiss her throat.
She smiled as she replied, "Take me to bed and I will."
~
"Severus?" she whispered, as they lay entwined in his bed,
"Mmm?" he mumbled, half asleep.
"I think Harry's hiding something."
"Well it's not his enormous ego, that's for certain."
"Severus! I'm serious."
"As will I be if you don't let me sleep you damn harpy," he moaned, but she gave a small smile as he tightened his grasp on her and mumbled, "We'll talk about it in the morning."
~
Unfortunately the next morning Severus was summoned to Voldemort. He arrived just as Voldemort stood to address his captive audience.
"My Death Eaters, I have called you here today to inform you of the plan to get our people back. I have enlisted the services of Harry Potter and his Order."
Severus looked at the dark wizard in front him in total disbelief "˜he'll be telling us that they're eloping next' he thought. There were a few outbursts of laughter from around the long table, which descended into silence when they realised that their leader was looking around the room at each of them with a deadly look on his face. "Did I say something amusing?" he hissed.
"My Lord, surely we misheard you, we are to join forces with Potter?" came a voice to the right of Severus.
"Yes, Lucius you heard me quite well, we need their resources and they need ours, I know you can all feel that our world has become unbalanced and that is the key to what has happened. We must do this."
"Never!" shrieked a voice from the table.
"Bella," said Voldemort, his red eyes looking down to his number two lieutenant and the only Death Eater to ever get away with anything lightly, "Do you not wish to see your dear husband again?"
"Not if that is price I have to pay for it, I would rather die," she spat, her dark eyes flashing.
"I would not," said a voice from further down the table.
"Shut up Rabastan, your brother would feel the same as I do, and accept his fate if this is the alternative," Bellatrix hissed down the table.
"Bella you are and always have been one of my favourites, you stayed true to me when many did not," Voldemort said, his eyes travelling around the room, "but if you try and fight me on this again you will get your wish and you will die. The same goes for everyone else in this room."
"Yes, my Lord," she said bowing her head in submission. She was mad but she wasn't stupid and she knew when she was on dangerous ground.
"I will call you when it is time, until then you are dismissed," said Voldemort leaving the room.
Severus sat at the end of the table staring at one of his master's retreating form. He had no idea what kind of game Voldemort was playing, but he knew he was acting completely insane this time, imagining that he could enlist the help of the Order.
Then he recalled Hermiones words about Harry hiding something. "Surely not," he muttered to himself. But even as he reached into his robes and felt the coin burning there to call him to his other master he knew that it was true. The light and dark were joining forces, "Merlin help us all," he groaned as he apparated.
~
By the time Severus arrived at Grimmauld place the whole kitchen was in uproar. Harry had called the meeting and obviously told them of the plan. Now, the entire Order, save for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Albus Dumbledore who, as Harry's main counsel had all been informed first, were standing and shouting, arguing amongst themselves.
Harry met Severus's eyes and raised his wand to the ceiling, letting off a loud bang that momentarily silenced the crowd.
"If it helps," drawled Severus, "Voldemort had to threaten his followers with death to get them to agree."
Everyone turned to look at him except Hermione who rolled her eyes and shook her head. Surprisingly Harry smiled, grateful for the older man's dark humour at that moment.
"I'll take it under advisement," he said, his eyes twinkling and for a moment Severus wondered if what Dumbledore had was catching, then he saw the young mans face grow serious as he calmly faced his army and said, "Sit down and shut up, all of you." As they did Severus knew that for all his faults, Harry Potter was still the best man for the job.
Harry outlined the rest of the plan in much the same way that Voldemort had but with much less threatening. He ended by saying, "We were always going to have to fight them face to face sooner or later. If it is a trap then it will be sooner."
There were mutterings around the table but no one was shouting anymore.
"What we need now is a base of operations that is large enough for both groups to work from," said Hermione looking around the room. "We're open to suggestions," she pushed.
"I think that I may be able to help with that." Everyone looked on in amazement as the ancient headmaster got to his feet and looked around at the Order, "I know just the place."