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Memories of Deception	By : professorflo Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 20868 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters within. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Memories of Deception
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9.
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 30-30
- 31-31
- 32-32
- 33-33
- 34-34
- 35-35
- 36-36
- 37-37
- 38-38
- 39-39
- 40-40
- 41-41
- 42-42
- 43-43
- 44-44
- 45-45
- 46-46
- 47-47
- 48-48
- 49-49
- 50-50
- 51-51
- 52-52
- 53-53
- 54-54
- 55-55
- 56-56
- 57-57
- 58-58
- 59-59
- 60-60
- 61-61
- 62-62
- 63-63
- 64-64
- 65-65
- 66-66
- 67-67
- 68-68
- 69-69
- 70-70
- 71-71
- 72-72
- 73-73
- 74-74
- 75-75
- 76-76
- 77-77
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- 79-79
- 80-80
- 81-81
- 82-82
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- 85-85
- 86-86
- 87-87
- 88-88
- 89-89
- 90-90
- 91-91
- 92-92
- 93-93
- 94-94
- 95-95
- 96-96
- 97-97
- 98-98
- 99-99
- 100-100
- 101-101
- 102-102
- 103-103
- 104-104
- 105-105
- 106-106
- 107-107
- 108-108
- 109-109
- 110-110
- 111-111
- 112-112
- 113-113
- 114-114
- 115-115
- 116-116
- 117-117
- 118-118
- 119-119
- 120-120
- 121-121
- 122-122
- 123-123
- 124-124
- 125-125
- 126-126
- 127-127
- 128-128
- 129-129
- 130-130
- 114
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- 116
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Hermione came to slowly, her swollen eyelids fluttering open. She lifted her head and looked around in confusion, wondering for a few moments why she had fallen asleep on the floor. Then it all came flooding back to her, Snape's fury upon waking and his sneaky appropriation of the time-turner. …And the way he had collapsed a moment before he disappeared, and how she had cried herself into insensibility before falling asleep.
Hermione batted away the tears that had crept onto her cheeks before pushing herself up until she was sitting, leaning against the wall. He was gone, and there was nothing that crying would do to change that. Although… that incantation that he used… I need to check the library for the translation. If I'm correct… If she was correct it would be some time before she was able to do anything to help Snape though, and there were other things that were more important right now. Looking up at the clock she realised she had slept for about 3 hours, although she still felt terribly tired and stiff from lying on the floor. Well what with the time-turner and everything else that's happened, I must have been awake for well over 24 hours.
Deciding the floor was too uncomfortable to stay there any longer, she got to her feet with a wince as her muscles protested. She really should get back to the others, they would probably be wondering where she was by now. She moved across to stand by the bed, silently staring down at the rumpled sheets and thrown back blankets. Tiggy obviously hadn't been back in the time she'd been asleep. Reaching down, Hermione pulled the blanket straight, tucking the corner back in and smoothing the wrinkles out as she thought about the man who had occupied the bed not long ago.
Why had he left her? She could understand his surprise at being alive, even perhaps that he would find it difficult to deal with having made his peace with the world, yet wake up to find himself still in it. But why had he been so angry? Had he really been so desperate to die? She'd truly believed he'd… well, did it matter what she had thought? He'd made his feelings clear by his actions.
She sighed and turned to sit on the bed, ignoring the new wrinkles she was making in the neat covers. Gods, he couldn't even look at me when I told him… surely he must have known, or at least guessed how I felt. She hadn't been secretive about her emotions, and he'd surely been in her head enough times to see for himself. Why hadn't he said something before? Because you both needed for you to believe you felt something for him, in order to make your lives easier…
Hermione cringed as she remembered how she'd had to convince Snape to give her that lust potion, or how she had thrown herself at him so many times. He was obviously able to understand, as she clearly hadn't, that the whole thing was a pretence, that he had just encouraged her attachment because it was useful in the circumstances. He'd clearly been embarrassed by her misunderstanding of the situation and her declaration of love a few hours ago. But what about how he made love to her when she'd gone back to save him? A dying man's last chance for a moment of comfort…?
She rubbed her dry eyes tiredly as she lay herself down, curling up in a ball on the side of the bed that had been hers. She'd cried herself out earlier, and wasn't sure that she was capable of more tears, despite the feeling of grief that washed over her. The pillow that Snape had been using still held the indentation of his head and she reached out to stroke it gently.
Another thought came to her then. They'd planned for him to seduce her, to create false feelings. What if Snape believed that her feelings for him were not real? She grabbed on corner of the pillow and pulled it towards her, wrapping her arms around it and holding it tight against her. She closed her eyes and burrowed her nose into the fabric. What if my feelings aren't real, though? No, I love him, I want him back. Severus… why did you leave me? I need you… The tears did come then, silently, soaking into the pillow that still smelled of him.
Hermione work with a strangled gasp, the remnants of the dream still clinging to her mind. She'd been running, chasing something through the trees, never gaining, but also being chased by something else in return. The wood had been silent around her, except for her own unnaturally loud breathing, and the pounding of her feet on the ground as she ran. The sound still seemed to echo in her ears as she pushed herself upright.
She hadn't meant to fall asleep again, only lie down for a few minutes, but looking back up at the clock she saw that she'd slept for much longer this time, and it was now late afternoon. Her body had clearly needed the rest, as had her mind, which felt much clearer than it had before, although still thick with sleep. The realisation that her friends would have realised she was missing and be worried suddenly hit her. Shit… I need to get up.
She had got to her feet and used her wand to cast a quick cleaning charm over her crumpled and dirty clothes before she realised she could still hear the pounding that she'd assumed to be part of her dream. Keeping her wand in her hand she left the bedroom with a final glance around and went in search of the origin of the noise. It seemed to be coming from Snape's study, so she crept down the hall towards the door, her heart pounding faster with the hope of finding Snape in there. Peeking round to peer into the room she found the room empty, the banging instead coming from the door into the rest of the castle.
Her hopes dashed, she made her way across the study and pulled the door open quickly, raising her wand in case whoever was on the other side was unfriendly.
Stunned as the door disappeared from under his knuckles, Harry froze for a moment before letting his arm fall back down to his side.
"Hermione, where have you been? We've been looking all over!" He reached out to pull her into a hug, but his fingers bounced off a surface that shimmered slightly at his touch. He winced and pulled them back, flexing them as if hurt. "Why can't I get in? Did you put up wards?" He looked hurt at the thought that she might have purposely stopped him from entering.
"It wasn't me. I know Se… Snape put up lots of wards to stop people getting in." It hurt to talk of him.
"But how did you get in then? And what about earlier? There were no wards to stop us then," he replied.
Hermione slowly extended her arm, and as her fingers passed through the wards she then remembered Snape adding her signature so she could enter. But why was Harry unable to get through now when he had earlier? She thought back to try and remember exactly what they'd done before. But before she could say anything Harry had grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, through the wards, and wrapped his arms around her.
"Merlin, Hermione, we were so worried! No one has seen you for hours and when we couldn't find you we thought something bad had happened. It was ages before I remembered the map was in your bag and thought to use it. What were you doing?"
"I'm so sorry," she cried into his shoulder as she dug her fingers into his back, "I came back to… to… and then I fell asleep. I didn't mean to scare you, I was just so tired." She was torn over what to tell him regarding Snape. Whatever Harry had seen in his memories had obviously convinced him that Snape had been helping them, but would that overcome all the year of dislike and antagonism between the two of them? It was far easier to forgive someone you thought was dead. He still might be dead…
"Shhh, it's ok. Don't worry, Hermione. As long as you're safe…" Harry comforted her, gently rubbing her back, his voice betraying his confusion over her tearful reaction. It took her a few moments to pull herself together, and eventually she pushed herself back out of his embrace, forcing a smile on to her face as she looked up at him. He looked like he was about to start questions her, and suddenly fearful that he would want to know why she had felt the need to return to the head's study, she diverted his attention back to the wards.
"I think I know how you got in before. Snape added me to the wards, and he knew you would need to enter at some point." She noticed his brow furrow as if part of that statement confused him, but she ploughed on. "I think he presumed I would be with you. Let me…" She grabbed his hand, before stepping back through the wards into the room, and pulling him with her. This time he passed through with no problems. "We were holding hands last time."
"I don't understand… Why would Snape know…?"
"Miss Granger… I thought I would find you here." The voice from the stairwell made them jump, and they turned to face Professor McGonagall, who was making her way up the last few steps. "Potter…" She nodded amiably to Harry. She tried to step through to join them, but again the wards shimmered as she pressed against them, stopping her from entering.
"Miss Granger, I assume these are your work?" She waved at the air in front of her.
"No, Professor, they're Professor Snape's wards, but I can get you through." Hermione reached out through the wards to offer the older witch her hand. McGonagall looked at her strangely, before grasping her hand. Hermione stepped back, trying to bring McGonagall with her, but as her fingers touched the wards she hissed in pain, letting go of Hermione's hand and stepping back.
"I don't understand… It worked with Harry."
"Miss Granger, you say these wards were put up by Professor Snape's?" McGonagall replied, pressing her hand lightly to the shimmering curtain guarding the door again, as if to test them.
"Yes, why? …Oh!" Hermione suddenly cottoned on to what McGonagall had already realised.
Harry looked from one witch to the other. "What is it? What's the problem?"
McGonagall fixed her eyes on Hermione's. "I was under the impression Professor Snape had died during the battle."
"Yes, I saw it happen. That snake…" Harry bit the rest of the sentence off and shivered in disgust at the memory. "But what has that got to do with the wards."
Hermione chewed her bottom lip in consternation as McGonagall held her gaze, her eyes hopeful. She knew the other woman had figured out, at least in part what Hermione had done, and there was nothing left but for Hermione to confess. "Harry, the wards… if he was dead…"
"… they would have stopped working," Harry realised out loud, recalling a half-forgotten piece of information from a class years ago. "Snape's alive? But we saw him die! I don't…"
"I believe Miss Granger should be able to enlighten us on that score." McGonagall looked past them, into the study. "Is he here?"
"No… he's gone." Her eyes felt dry and scratchy, and she fought the urge to cry again. "I healed him, only it didn't work properly, and he left before I could help him."
"I think you'd better come with me. We need to inform the others we have found you, and then you can both come with me while you explain everything, Miss Granger. I'm sure we can find somewhere in the castle that has not been damaged that we can all enter. This is not a conversation to be having where others can hear us. I think it's best that no one knows of this yet, so not a word to anyone, either of you." She turned to descend the stairs, not needing to check that they were following.
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Memories of Deception