Inside the Blackest Heart (Edit, Not Update)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 31 ~ Making Things Clear

Hermione pressed her lips softly against those of the Potions Master, who sat frozen with shock as he felt her mouth connect with his. Hermione drew back and straightened, a gentle look in her amber eyes.

Snape sat there a moment, staring at her. Then it hit the fan.

“MISS GRANGER! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!” he roared at her. Hermione was so startled she stumbled back and almost fell.

Snape leapt to his feet and shot over to her, trapping her back against his jars of…whatever they were, his face an inch from hers.

“Never. Ever. Do that again,” he snarled, “I am not Potter or Weasley that you can turn me with a well-placed kiss, Miss Granger. I am only helping you to help myself. I have no emotional ties with you beyond my wish to see these two despots taken out. I do not KISS, Miss Granger, and I do not want or need your displays of affection to complicate an already complicated situation. I am no one’s knight, Miss Granger. I do not rescue damsels in distress…if anything I cause them distress.”

He looked down at her, his black eyes flashing.

“It is in my own self-interest to keep you alive, Miss Granger. Keeping your family alive is important only because their deaths would be a hindrance to you focusing on developing your powers. Grief would make you helpless. I am offering you my protection only because without it, your inexperience would have you dead in no time. I am risking everything because of you, but it is not because I particularly care for you. It is because I see you just as Albus and Voldemort see you. As a means to an end, Miss Granger, a resource, an answer to a problem that has plagued me for almost as long as you’ve been alive. But I am the only one of the three least likely to kill you if you don’t do what I want. And that’s only because if you do not take out Albus and Voldemort, your life will be forfeit by one or the other."

Snape took a step back from the frightened witch.

"Miss Granger, do not mistake my actions as being inspired by any tender feelings toward you. I am incapable of tender feelings. Years of abusing others has stripped me of that ability. I am truly cold and unfeeling. Your kiss, your concern and even your trust mean absolutely nothing to me. Even our intimacies are a carnal enjoyment and nothing more. I take advantage of your desire for me to exercise my baser nature and relieve my physical needs here at Hogwarts. Though you have the potential to become the greatest, most powerful witch in the world, to me you are a woman like any other woman. Your only possible function as such, is to bring me momentary pleasure.”

Snape looked at Hermione hard for a moment. She was showing no reaction to his statement about her only real purpose for him. She already knew this. He had told her before. He continued.

“When you come to full maturity and are able to control the forces of magic, I will have no desire to reap the benefits of your power. I have no desire to have you become another Lord in my life. I have served two who promised me a share of power, but all they have ever given me is pain. I do not covet the power of others. The only power I wish for is the power to control my own life. And you, I hope will bring me that power. After that, I can subdue the world on my own terms. So, Miss Granger, no more wasted displays of affection. No more kisses. I am not the kind of man that wants, needs or tolerates them. And I do not want you in the state of mind where I am the focus of your affections. I help you and I fuck you simply because it is in my own self-interest. Not because I care for you. Do you understand that, Miss Granger? I cannot make this any plainer to you.”

Hermione looked at the Professor coldly.

“Yes. I believe I do understand, Professor. Forgive me for being human,” she spat at him.

“Being human can be quite a liability in this case, Miss Granger. I suggest you refrain from it when dealing with me,” the Potions Master said silkily, his black eyes glinting at her.

Hermione pushed herself off the jars and walked toward the door, her chin lifted stubbornly.

“I will remember that, Professor,” she said in a chilly voice, “Now if you will undo the wards, I would like to leave. I want to see Harry before he leaves for Hogsmeade.”

The Potions Master stood up, walked around his desk and proceeded to remove the wards on his office. Then he turned to her.

“You cannot tell Potter of our plans. He will not understand. He will think I am trying to trick you into shifting your allegiance to the dark side,” the Potions Master said.

“I know that,” Hermione replied, “I just want to try and prepare him for the things he will most likely hear about me when I leave,” she said.

The Potions Master folded his arms.

“And how do you intend to do that, without revealing our plans?” Snape asked her.

“Harry trusts me. I can tell him to continue to do so, no matter what the outward appearances are,” she said. At least that is what she hoped the young wizard would do.

Snape opened the door.

“Until tonight, Miss Granger,” he said smoothly as the witch exited his office.

“Until tonight,” she replied, shooting a small frown at him. Then she walked up the corridor.

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Hermione found Harry in the Gryffindor common room lacing up his trainers. Ron wasn’t with him. He was off with Parvati. They were going to Hogsmeade together. Ron had secured a room at the Three Broomsticks for some quality shagging. They wouldn’t see him until tonight.

Hermione walked up to the sofa Harry was sitting on and sat down beside him, her face sober. Harry looked at her expression and straightened immediately.

“Hey Hermione,” he greeted her, then went right to the foremost question on his mind. “What did Dumbledore want?”

“To talk to me about the couple I used my powers on,” she said.

“You didn’t tell him you used your Primordial powers did you?” Harry asked her, his green eyes intense.

“No. I pretended I thought they wised up and returned on their own. But I don’t think he believed me. I also told him after graduation I planned to make my own decisions,” she said. She was clasping her hands together nervously.

“Gods, Hermione…what did he say?”

“He said something about fledglings wanting to spread their wings and breaking their necks. He also implied I wouldn’t be allowed to live my own life because of my gifts. He thinks I think he is talking about my intelligence, but I know it's more than that.”

Harry was getting a cold feeling in his stomach as he listened to his friend talk about her meeting with Dumbledore. She had blatantly defied the Headmaster. Harry had long since surmised that Dumbledore was not as benign as he appeared to be. He didn’t fully trust the Headmaster ever since he was forced to come clean about the things he had hidden from Harry, and how he had been manipulated over the years. Harry only followed his directives because he was a target of Voldemort’s and knew he would have to face the Dark Lord one day, and not for the sake of the wizarding world, but for his own survival.

Harry was not a hero at heart, he didn’t long for the glory and fame of being one. He did what he did because it seemed right to do. The saving of the Philosopher’s Stone, the killing of the Basilisk and destruction of Tom Riddle’s memory. Freeing his godfather, Sirius Black, destroying the Prophecy, and letting the world know Voldemort had returned…all these things he did because they needed to be done, not because he had a desire for glory or to make a name for himself. He already had a name. The Boy Who Lived. He never had a choice, ever. He knew what Hermione was feeling when it came to making decisions for herself. Just once he would like to know what that kind of freedom was like. But his situation was different than Hermione’s. He was targeted from birth.

As he listened to Hermione, he realized that because of her powers, she was in danger too. She would be more powerful than anyone in the world. Dumbledore wouldn’t want her making decisions. He’d want to use her to kill Voldemort. Harry knew Hermione wouldn’t have a problem with the idea of defeating the Dark Lord, but Dumbledore would want to control every aspect of it. And with Hermione wanting to be independent…this could be bad. Harry didn’t know how far the Headmaster would go to keep her in his control.

“Hermione, do you think the Headmaster knows you’re a Primordial?” he asked her.

Hermione looked at him.

“Yes. Yes I do, Harry,” she said softly. She couldn’t tell him Snape had told her this. But he didn’t ask how she knew. Instead he said quietly.

“If he does, he’s not going to let you go, Hermione. He’ll try to keep you under him.”

“I know, Harry,” she said, her eyes shining, “that’s why I want you to know that no matter what, I will always remain loyal to you, Harry. And to the wizarding world. No matter how it appears outwardly. I want you to understand that Harry. You may hear bad things about me in the future. It won’t be true. Trust me.”

Harry was confused and worried.

“What do you mean, Hermione? What kind of bad things? You make it sound as if you are leaving or something,” he said.

Hermione took both his hands in hers, and kissed them.

“I have to protect myself, Harry. Others want to use me, and if they can’t use me…they might try to kill me. If that happens, I have to go into hiding,” she said.

“Why? Why not just stay here? Hogwarts is the safest place in the wizarding world!” he said.

“Not necessarily, Harry,” Hermione said obliquely.

Dumbledore. She was scared of the Headmaster, and she might be right to be.

“Where will you go?” he asked her.

“I can’t tell you that. But I will be safe there. I just want you to remember that I am loyal and you can trust me. Will you do that?” she asked him, holding his hands tightly in hers.

“But Hermione…” Harry protested

She gripped his hands so hard it became painful.

“Will you do that, Harry? Promise me you will do that,” she implored him, tears in her eyes.

Harry’s eyes softened.

“Of course I will, Hermione. I love you. I would never think bad of you,” he said softly.

Hermione embraced him so tightly, he felt he couldn’t breathe. His arms went up around her, and he could feel her sobbing as if her heart was broken. He rubbed her back and let her cry, soaking the fabric of his robes with her tears. After several minutes, she pulled back from him, her amber eyes ringed in red.

“Hermione, let me help you. You shouldn’t have to handle this alone. It’s too much,” he said, “I could help protect you, maybe find someplace safe for you…”

Hermione sniffled and shook her head.

“I have help, Harry. I’m not alone, completely, though it feels that way,” she said, thinking of the cold, unfeeling Potions Master.

“Who?” Harry asked.

“I can’t tell you. I am under a Wizard’s Oath not to divulge the person,” she said.

Harry frowned. She was keeping secrets from him. But then he understood. He had a few secrets of his own. Hermione looked at the time.

“Harry, you’d better head out. They’ll be leaving for Hogsmeade soon,” she said, drying her eyes with the edge of her robes.

“I don’t want to leave you like this, Hermione,” Harry said. He knew what it was like to feel totally alone.

“No, you go Harry. I need time to myself to think and prepare,” she said, standing up and pulling him up with her. She hugged him again.

“Thank you for being here for me, Harry,” she said against his ear. “I would never betray you.”

Harry didn’t want to let her go. He was afraid. Afraid he was going to lose her.

“Hermione,” he whispered, a quaver in his voice. Hermione pulled back.

“Go to Hogsmeade Harry,” she said softly, pushing him toward the exit.

He stood there stubbornly.

“Go,” Hermione said, giving him a little smile, “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

She turned and walked up the stairs that led to the girl’s dormitories, and her room.

Harry stared after her for a moment, his heart heavier than it had been for a long time. He hoped that whoever was helping her could be counted on.

He turned and slowly left the common room.

As he headed down the stairwells, he turned his thought to the puzzle of who could be helping Hermione. It had to be someone at Hogwarts. His mind sifted over all the teachers and Professors, trying to figure who would be brave enough or crazy enough to defy the Headmaster. It could cost that teacher their position, if not worse. Professor McGonagal was shagging the Headmaster, had been for years, so that put her out of the line-up. Flitwick and Madam Sprout just didn’t seem to have enough nerve to do something like this. Then Harry paused. There was only one person in Hogwarts who would take such a risk. His whole life was nothing but one big risk. Professor Snape. Harry remembered him looking for Hermione. He was so intent on finding her he actually entered Gryffindor Tower. He hated Gryffindor. Only something important would have made him come there.

Harry was really worried now. If Snape was helping her, he was a dangerous ally to have. He couldn’t be trusted as far as Harry was concerned. Plus, Snape didn’t even like Hermione. He didn’t like anyone. Why would he help her? Why would she accept his help? There was a lot more to this than Hermione was telling him. He’d be paying close attention to both of them from now on. He wasn’t going to let the Potions Master dupe his friend.

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A/N: I felt I needed to rehash where Hermione and Snape stand at this point. Harry knows about Hermione and Snape now. Hope he doesn’t throw a wrench into the works. Please review.