Snape's Redemption

Disclaimer: Own nothing, not mine.

Chapter Four – The taking of a toast and tea.

Snape re-entered the room after putting Draco back to bed. Hermione was still kneeling where he had left her, her hands covering her face as her shoulders shook. Realising that this night was not yet over, Severus summoned a tray of tea and toast and sat down in his armchair.

“Come, Miss Granger,” he ordered. “We will sit like civilised people and discuss our new, bourgeoning relationship.”

Hermione’s head shot up and she glared blankly ahead, refusing to look in his direction.

“Will I die if I don’t, sir?” The last word came out as a hiss, followed by a short sob.

“What on earth do you mean, Miss Granger?” Snape smirked. She turned and looked furiously at him. “Just come here, sit down and have some toast and tea.” He reached over and poured two cups. “I will tell you everything you need to know.”

“Really?” She asked distrustfully, turning on her knees towards him and rising up.

“Of course,” he replied smugly. “I do not care if you know everything about me now - you won’t be able to tell a soul anything that I say. Unless, that is, you want to die.”

With a squeal of frustration, Hermione stood, stalked over to the couch and threw herself onto it. She scrubbed her face angrily with her sleeve, wiping away the tears and mucus, and crossed her arms. Silently, Snape handed her a cup of tea.

“Please,” he instructed her. “Help yourself to milk and sugar.”

Suddenly, her rage left her and with it, her energy. She slumped down into the couch.

“Stop it,” she whispered.

“I beg your pardon, Miss Granger?” Severus enquired solicitously.

“Stop being nice. I know what you’re really like and this,” she waved her hand wordlessly at him, “is not you.”

He looked at her consideringly. Then he carefully placed his teacup down.

“So,” he sneered. “The little lioness doesn’t like being treated with civility. What do you want, Miss Granger? To be treated as you were in school? Do you want to be reminded that you are my inferior every time that you are in my presence? Or is it that you desire to be reminded of the foolish leap you have taken to gain knowledge? Oh, yes,” he hissed as she started. “I know why you are here. I know what your desire is. You don’t want me to come back to help the Order – you want me to teach you. You want what I can give you, Miss Granger. Do not try and hide behind altruistic motives and pretend it’s for the good of your friends. You want it for yourself. At least be brave enough to admit it. Isn’t that what your stupid little House prides itself on? Its bravery? Pity that most of you wouldn’t know true courage if it bit you in the arse.”

He calmly picked up his teacup and took a sip, watching as her own cup shook on its saucer.

“I, however, have learnt from previous mistakes,” he continued pleasantly. “I know what it is like to abase myself before others for help and knowledge. The two masters I have followed in my life have both been sadly lacking in their care for their followers. Therefore, Miss Granger, you find yourself in a much happier situation than I was ever in. You see, I value my minions and take care of my possessions. Due to that foolish vow you entered into, you are both. Now, do we continue with you trying to take the moral high ground, or can we continue on with our plans?”

Hermione looked at him, her eyes wide and terrified.

“What -” she stopped and wet her suddenly dry lips before continuing. “What are you going to do with me?”

Snape smirked. “Oh, quite a lot of things, I assure you. You have bound yourself to a Death Eater, Miss Granger, and I think that it is time for you to see what many Death Eaters are truly capable of.”

“I know what they’re capable of,” she hissed. “I’ve fought them, remember?”

“Yes, yes, that little contretemps at the Ministry. A plan masterminded by Lucius Malfoy. To be honest, I’m amazed that not more of my brethren were killed or captured that night. It must have been one of Lucius’ lucky days. Perhaps he indulged in a drop of Felix Felicis.”

Snape’s mouth curled slightly as he took another sip before setting his cup down. Then he pulled out his wand, noting with satisfaction how Hermione flinched, and summoned the Pensieve. Once again he drew out the memory of Draco’s punishment. He believed this incident would be more educational for her than a random punishment given to an unknown person.

“Here we are, Miss Granger. A lesson on the stupidity of the young attempting to gain power – or knowledge,” he added mockingly. Standing he walked over to her and suddenly grasped her neck. “I think I will relieve you of this for now,” he said as he removed her wand. “I don’t want you hexing me and thereby killing yourself. You see, I believe that any magic used against me would interfere with my endeavours.”

Snape then suddenly thrust her face into the Pensieve and, once she had fallen completely into it, placed it gently on the couch. He then refreshed his cup of tea and waited.

Around the time he ascertained she would be returning, Severus refilled her cup with water and summoned a bucket. As per his intuition, Hermione tumbled from the Pensieve and promptly threw up.

Repeatedly.

He waited until she appeared to be finished, then with a quick Evanesco the bucket disappeared. He stood once more and walked over to the girl huddled on the floor, forcing her to accept the water.

“Clean your mouth, Miss Granger,” he ordered. As she was drinking, he scooped the memory back out and, once again, replaced it into his own mind. The Pensieve was then banished back to its previous hiding place and Snape once more resumed his seat in his armchair. By this time, Hermione had pulled herself up onto the couch and was, yet again, weeping.

“Now, now, Miss Granger,” Severus hastened to reassure her. “Such punishments will not be for you. I am sure you will find me a very … kind and understanding master, compared to some.”

“Oh, gods,” she moaned. Her eyes suddenly met his. “Draco … oh, gods … nobody deserved … the blood … and excitement … they … people … turned on…”

“Yes,” Snape replied heavily. “Many of the Dark Lord’s followers have … exotic … desires. Fortunately, for you at least, I am not one of them.”

“Exotic? Exotic?” Hermione screeched. “That was just … oh, gods … I don’t have words …”

She wretched, but everything stayed down.

“Just breathe, Miss Granger. Breathe.”

She gulped down air, trying to fend off the nausea. Her cup was unceremoniously dropped as she used both fists to try and grind the memories out of her brain.

“His mother … I never liked her … stuck-up cow … gods … what happened … Draco …” She continued spewing out disjointed sentences, tears trekking down her face. Severus sighed and summoned yet another small vial to his hand. Making a mental note to put aside some extra time for brewing, he floated the bottle over to her.

“Drink,” he commanded. “It’s just a Nerve Calming Draught.”

Uncaring of what it contained, Hermione cracked open the lid and swallowed the contents. In a few moments, her shaking had dissipated and her tears had been reduced to a trickle. Sitting back, she looked once again at the man who presumed to call himself her master.

“What happened to Narcissa Malfoy?” she asked dully.

“She was sent back to Malfoy Manor with Wormtail for some … training. I am sure you can grasp what that may entail. Hence, I have finally been liberated from the rodent’s presence as the Dark Lord has decided I have proven my devotion to him and do not require such careful watching at the moment.” Snape’s lip curled as he recalled his act of devotion. “However, Wormtail does not particularly like me and may return at some stage to try to gain information to use against me. To protect myself from this, I require your assistance.”

Hermione looked at him blankly. “What on earth can I do to stop Pettigrew?”

“I need your cat,” he stated bluntly. “That half-Kneazle monstrosity is one of the only things Pettigrew fears in his rat form.”

“You want Crookshanks,” she repeated, dully. “You want to take my familiar away from me.”

“Oh, no. Not at all, Miss Granger. You will be with him, of course.”

“What?”

“I need that beast and, as you will be with me most of the time, you will see quite a lot of him. More than you do currently, I’m sure.” Snape took a sip of his tea and watched Hermione carefully, waiting to see when the truth struck her.

She didn’t disappoint him. Even under the calming draught her eyes dilated and her breathing quickened.

“What do you mean? I can’t stay here. Harry … Ron … they need me!”

“Do they? You were whinging before about how they will not listen to you anymore.” Hermione stuttered a denial which Snape dismissed with a motion of his hand before continuing. “However, you must not think that I will keep you here at all times. Oh no, Miss Granger, I will need you to see them regularly, to be their help mate and, of course, to gather information about the Horcruxes and anything else of use that comes from Potter.”

Hermione was almost hyperventilating. “You want me to betray them?”

Snape suddenly reached down and grabbed his old text book from the floor beside his chair. “And what do you call this?” He hissed as he brandished the book at her. “Would your precious Potter be happy to see that you have taken the teachings of a traitor to heart?”

“Give it to me!” Hermione demanded, horrified that he read her so easily. She had been stupid, she reflected. Once again, she had imposed her own preconceived notions on someone and made them out to be more than they were. It was Lockhart all over again, except this time it was intelligence, not looks, which had seduced her.

Snape tossed the book to her and she clasped it to her chest; her talisman that had led her to hell. Although, she did have to admit that it could have been worse. She could have suffered Draco’s fate.

“Draco,” she whispered, a revelation dawning in her mind. “That was him, the Death Eater upstairs. That’s Draco!”

“Oh, very astute,” Snape applauded sarcastically. “As you know, it is my vow that forces me to care for him. Now, Miss Granger, are you going to have some toast?”

She took a piece, feeling slightly like Persephone accepting food from Hades. ‘At least she got a nice pomegranate,’ she thought irreverently.

“So, to recap our situation so far, Miss Granger. I am your master. You are my spy, I need your cat, and, of course, we have yet to discuss your most important task.” Snape stopped to take a piece of toast himself as Hermione waited anxiously. What else could he ask of her?

The silence stretched out, filling every corner of the room.

“How can you do this?” The question was quiet but, asked into the stillness, had the impact of a scream. “You are – were - my teacher. How could you trick me into this? Do you have no honour at all?”

Snape exploded out of his chair. He knocked over the table, sending the tea tray flying, as he pounced on Hermione, trapping her on the couch. He thrust his face towards her, forcing her to shrink back.

“How can you ask me that? You read my book – you know what I am capable of!”

“Great things,” she breathed, unknowingly echoing Ollivander’s words to Harry all those years ago. “Terrible, but great.”

Snape released her, straightened and, crossing his arms over his chest, glared down his nose at her.

“You are a fool, Miss Granger. A silly little girl. However, I am not your moral guardian and I will use whatever tools I require. And you, I require. Now.” Turning from her he pointed his wand at one of the walls covered in books. With a bang the concealed door opened revealing the narrow staircase.

“It is late, Miss Granger. I believe that we should get started on your main duty.” With a wave of his hand, the mess beside his chair was gone. He held out one hand to Hermione, who looked at it in trepidation.

“What?” she questioned fearfully. “What do I have to do?”

“Why, it is very simple, Miss Granger. In fact, it is what you, as a witch, were made to do.” Snape smirked as he reached down and hauled her up on to her feet.

“I need you to bear me a child.”


A/N – “the taking of a toast and tea” is a quote from T.S. Eliot’s poem ‘The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock’.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers - especially my recurring ones!! I love you and when I figure out how to reply to them all I will.

My Betas, Clara Minutes, Griff & GinnyW are Goddesses and deserve to be worshiped as such!!