The Change

To my readers, I am going to try to write a chapter once a week on this story. The story might be updated more than once a week, depending on my mood.

My reasons for doing this,

The last long HP story I wrote I got burnt out on before it was even finished. I don't want to do the same with this one. I also have more stories, written in more categories.

I hope I won't loose readers due to this. I will write when the mood strikes me.


Also, I am making the notaion here...

As of right now, all my new stories, even this one will be posted on my author, live journal account. I tend to update my journals, more than I update my stories. The updates will go up first there, but there is a small catch, the journal is private. This way I don't have to worry about people plaugarizing my stories. Feel free to request to be added as a friend and I will check it each day and approve those who want to be approved. I will post the updates on the journal before I post them here. The journal address is

http://shadowsstories.livejournal.com/


The only diffrence between the posts is that the thank you and author's notes won't be on the journal. All my works, including Bleach and InuYasha will be located there also. I will be making a new website within the next week that will hold all my new works there.


To my reviewers. Thank you so much for your kind words and input. I am sorry for the cliffies but I find that it makes readers come back if you leave things like that. I don't really plan on doing it, the story just sort of comes out that way.


And now for the special notation


To RedWritingHood: It is an honor to have someone who is one of the best authors I have read in the Hermione/Snape category to review my story. To recieve a review from you, any author should be pleased, as I am. I never expected it and thank you greatly. Your story "A Secret Worth Keeping" is honestly the only long story I can read from start to your update and reread it constantly between updates. Again, thank you for the honor you have gifted me with. I have been in such a good mood since then.

So everyone who likes Hermione/Snape.. Go read her story, true it is long but it is worth it.


Now without further ado... Chapter 5

Chapter 5


After Arthur had made the remark to his son, the entire area was silent. No one made a sound, not even Molly, who was waiting as everyone else was.


Ron opened and shut his mouth, trying to figure out how to lie his way out of this. He never expected Snape to call him out on it, right in the middle of an Order meeting. Harry sighed and nudged him but still Ron refused to speak.


"Well Ronald?", his father asked again.


Ron finally spoke. "We got into a huge fight the last night at school. Hermione attacked me and I fought back. I don't know what she told Snape but.."


Harry stood up. "For crying out loud Ron, tell the the truth. If you won't I will."


"Harry.", Ron growled.

"No. They need to know. I can't believe you would try to put this all on Hermione. Or maybe I should get a pensive. I'm no better than you are right now."


Minerva looked at the dark haired boy. "Harry?"


"I'm sorry. I didn't stop him. I should have but I didn't. I was angry and upset at what she said but, that gives me no excuse."


Arthur looked at Harry. "Then perhaps you should tell us what happened, Harry."

Harry nodded, not even looking at Ron.

"The night we graduated, Hermione came to me and Ron, asking us to meet her in the Room of Requirement. We agreed because she hadn't been acting herself.


When we got there, she was already waiting. We sat in silence for a while and then that's when she told us that she wouldn't be coming to the Burrow this summer. When I asked her why, Hermione said she was sick of it all. She was sick of fighting, sick of hiding. She was sick of looking over her shoulder when she was out, worried about when the next attack was going to be. Then she looked at us both and said, she wasn't fighting in the final battle.

She then went on to tell us that she wouldn't help us find the items to kill Voldermort. She wasn't going to work on spells, and she wasn't going to marry Ronald. She knew that was the only reason he wanted her to marry him. She then said she wanted to remain our friend but as for the magical world she was done. She had already lost too much."


The room continued to remain silent.

"That's when Ron finally said something. He asked her about the promise she had made to us, to the Order and Hermione said that people change. She never wanted to be part of this but being our friend, we forced her to be.

Ron lost it and jumped up. He started slapping and hitting her and I just sat there and let him do it. I didn't care at the time, I was so angry. She threw away everything we had worked on for seven years and when we left, she was laying on the floor in a ball."

Ginny jumped up. "HOW COULD YOU BOTH LIE TO ME! THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU TOLD ME EARLIER!", she ran from the room and slammed her bedroom door, the sound echoing down the stairs.


Molly looked at both Harry and Ron. "I am very disappointed in you two. Since you got here, you have lied and said you didn't know what happened. While I don't like the fact she isn't here, Hermione had the right to change her mind. She lost her parents due to him and if that is her decision then we must support her. However, Ronald, you had no right to hit her and your correct Harry, your just as guilty as he was. Being angry gives no man the right to beat on a woman."

She then turned from them, looking at the Order. "If Severus stated Hermione didn't want us to know, then she didn't want us to know. As for the punch my son got today, I see now that it was warranted by Severus. No charges will be placed. However, we need to leave Hermione be for the time being, I am sure that she will return when she is ready. She has put too much into the fight to actually stay away. For now, I believe we are finished here. Ronald, Harry, go to your rooms. We will deal with this later."


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The next day, Hermione was standing in a foyer, her eyes widened with shock. Severus had kept her word and moved her to his secret manor, his other home. Well, not really so secret, seeing that Lucius and Voldermort both knew where it was.

"Come Hermione, I will show you to your room."

"My room? What if I have a nightmare, what if.."


Severus took her hand and gently held it. "My quarters are straight across the hall. I will hear. I give you free reign of the manor, no one except Lucius, his family and Voldermort know where it is. I also have a swimming area, if your interested.", he finished with a smile.

He led her up a flight of stairs and down the hallway. He opened up a door and motioned inside.

Going into the room, Hermione's eyebrow arched in confusion. Severus chuckled. "This is the sitting room, through this door," he opened it, "is the sleeping chambers. The entire manor is spelled, no matter where I am, if you are distressed, I will feel it, as long as I am within it's walls. Come, see your new room."


Hermione walked in and gasped at the huge bed that was in the center of the room, between two sets of balcony doors. The bed looked comfortable and Severus walked over, opening the sets of doors. "I know it is a little stuffy in here. These rooms have never been occupied. Your closet is over here and the bath through this.."

He turned to see her gently running her fingertips over the desk in the room. "This is too much Severus."


"Nonsense. These are your rooms for however long you wish. I do employ house elves. Do not try to set them free, they are bound to my family."


Hermione nodded and enlarged her trunk. When she opened the door to the closet she froze. "What in heavens?"

Severus chuckled behind his hand. When he decided to move her here, he had ordered dresses and clothing. "A few gifts is all Hermione. Dinner is at seven and the swimming area is past the stairs, on the first floor. Feel free to roam around. I have matters to attend to."


As he started out the door, her voice stopped him. "How do I repay you for this stuff?"


"They are gifts. No payment is required."


As he shut the quarter doors, he smiled at hearing her squeal of pleasure and in his mind, pictured her jumping on the bed and flopping backwards. Little did he know, that's exactly what she did.


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A few hours later, Hermione was walking down the hallways when she heard a splash. Naturally, she went to investigate. What she saw, made her body freeze and her eyes widen.


There in nothing but a pair of green swim trunks was Severus. He was in the pool, cooling off. She watched him swim for a while and when he got out of the water, she covered her mouth to keep from gasping out.


While his back was scarred, no doubt by Voldermort's hand in early years of service. His chest was smooth. His black hair hung down his neck and the water slid off his body. Severus shook his head to try to clear some of the water off and that was when she turned, running down the hallway.


As Severus wrapped a towel around him, his eyes widened in shock. Hermione must have forgotten what he told her about the manor being spelled and he sat down on one of the lounges at the side of the pool. He could feel her desire, and it shocked him more that it was for him.


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Hermione threw herself down on her bed and pulled a pillow down to cover her head. "Breathe Hermione, Breathe. Damn who knew what he had hidden under those robes. And he's.. Oh damn, maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

She was pulled from her thoughts by something tugging on her shirt. Hermione looked over to see a small house elf standing there. "Mistress. I am Celeste. I was told by Master to inform you that dinner will be in an hour. Might I help you get dressed?"


"Are you my servant?"

The small elf smiled and nodded. "Many years we prayed that Master would bring us home a Mistress. I am here to serve you, anything you need, you call me. I think the green dress would be good for tonight. Yes, the green one. Come, I help you dress and help you with your hair. I can make it more manageable for you. Master makes good hair potions."


"He don't use them.", Hermione found herself grumbling.


Celeste turned. "Oh no Mistress, Master doesn't need them. Master's hair is soft and shiny. It's spelled to look that way at school and when he is in public. Come, we must get you dressed. Would you like a bath, before dinner or after, Mistress?"


Hermione sighed. "Can't you just call me Hermione? I am sure I won't be here long."


Celeste moved the dress to the bed and shook her head. "No Mistress, for two reasons. One, it shows disrespect, something us house elves are forbidden to do to our owners. The second reason, Master would not have brought you home and ordered your room ready, if he intended on letting you leave soon. Master has a kind heart like Master's mother had. We serve the Snape family."

"I thought he was a half blood."


Celeste giggled. "No Mistress, Master is no half blood. Master is pure blood. Very few people know that. It was so sad when Master's mother died. His father followed shortly after. Master let us stay, saying one day he would return with a Mistress for us. You are the first woman, Master had brought home."


As Hermione sat down to let Celeste work on her hair, she thought through everything the elf had told her. "Celeste. Won't you get in trouble for telling me about Severus' true identity?"


Celeste smiled. "No Mistress, Master did not order us not to tell you. Master is a kind man, you will see. I think Master loves you already."


Hermione snorted. "I doubt that very seriously. He is just helping me because I had no where else to go."

"You keep thinking that Mistress. You think what you want, but I know better. There, we are done. Time to go to dinner with Master. Come I will show you where to go and I will return to help you get ready for bed when you are ready, just call me and I will come."

Hermione stood to follow Celeste out of the room, her mind thinking about what the elf had told her. When the two stopped at the door and Celeste nodded, she placed her hand on the knob, not knowing what awaited her on the other side.