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Shattered	By : Adriana Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 11986 -:- Recommendations : 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.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Shattered

By Adriana

trixielou60@hotmail.com
Do you really care to know me?

Even the boundless dark secrets of my fear?

When human touch feels like a burning brand,

Then you will know what brought me here.
~ From the poem, "Dark Secrets- Do You Know Me?" by Brunus
Edwardii
********************************
Chapter 18: Secrets
Sitting on a lonely stool in the Hogs Head, Draco Malfoy looked around at
his surroundings with complete and undeniable boredom. While he absolutely
hated butterbeer, he'd impulsively stopped in for a bit of cheap scotch and
water before heading off to Knockturn Alley. Hogs Head attracted a rather
rough, more interesting crowd, but this afternoon it was filled with little old
wizards and tipsy Goblins. Draco eyed the swizzle stick with disdain as it
glared up at him and huffed, "Well, if you're not going to swirl me, why
don't you just piss off?"
Draco sighed with utter detachment.
Indifference had always come naturally to him and as a matter of habit, he
found himself looking for something to peak his interest. A good brawl was in
order, but unfortunately, Scarhead was nowhere to be found.
It figured.
Harry Potter was apparently away on some secret mission, the lucky bugger.
He briefly wondered if it had anything to do with Ginny Weasley.
Weasley.
She was a real fireball, that one. There w nig niggling in the back of his
mind that she was going to prove rather troublesome and he shook his head,
trying to fling the thought away.
Draco got up without finishing his drink and abruptly Apparated to Knurn
urn
Alley. He'd planned on spending the afternoon browsing at Borgins & Burkes,
which aside from The Boom Boom Room, was his most favorite place in that seedy
part of town. Dumbledore had told him earlier that day that Hermione was "away"
for the afternoon and while Draco wasn't certain, he had a feeling that his
uncle was occupying her time. He couldn't help but leer at the thought. "I
wonder what they're doing right now?" he wondered. While the mental
image of Severus in his skivvies made him shudder, he was fascinated at the
thought of the old Potions Master taking a walk on the wild side. He even
contemplated showing up at Hermione's doorstep, a box of chocolate truffles in
hand, to try to coax the gory details from her. Of course, he'd have to get her
in just the right mood for some "girl talk". Maybe ifoffeoffered a
foot massage?
He shook his head. Too obvious. Chances were, he'd end up with a good
scolding and a poke in the eye from her wand.
He let out another audible sigh as he walked into Borgins & Burkes. He
hoped she wasn't going to be gone too long. Having her away was dicey and
things were mucked up enough as it was.
There were rows and rows of interesting magical items at the shop and he'd
been particularly drawn to a shrunken head that looked remarkably like his
great Uncle Basil. After making the mistake of putting his finger to its mouth,
it bit down hard with its sharp little teeth, just as Draco's forearm started
burning.
He cursed under his breath. "What a perfectly horrid way to ruin a
perfectly lovely afternoon," he thought sullenly.
In an instant, Draco Apparated to Voldemort's lair with Uncle Basil still
clenched to his finger. Why on earth did he feel compelled to stick his fingers
where they didn't belong?
Vigorously shaking off the offending head, he entered the Dark Lord's
library, where the ugly creature sat hunched before a cold fire. Voldemort
really did look terrible. His gray scaly skin looked parched and dry and once
again, the stench of decay was overwhelming.
"Draco, my boy," he said, holding out his ringed hand.
"Who does he think he is?" thought Draco. "The
bloody Muggle Pope?" He obediently knelt and kissed the ring.
Voldemort motioned to him to have a seat. "Come, we have much to
discuss."
Politely sitting on the edge of the chair, Draco kept his silence, allowing
Voldemort to initiate the conversation. He felt a stab of fear, the likes of
which he'd never felt before in the Dark Lord's presence.
"The time has come for you to bring me Hermione Granger."
Draco carefully schooled his face to impassivity, but inside he was
screaming. "Gods! Not yet! We're not ready!"
"Of course, my Lord," he answered in a steady voice. "May I
ask for what purpose?"
"I need to get a feel for her loyalties," Voldemort said weakly.
"If she is truly on our side, then she will play a central role in my rise
to power and in the downfall of The Order of the Phoenix."
Draco calculated his question before asking, "But how, my Lord?"
"I'm not sure you need to know that," said Voldemort, rather
petulantly.
"My Lord," said Draco quietly. "I think I've proven my
loyalty over and over again. I've betrayed The Order of The Phoenix and I've
done everything you've asked of me. I think I deserve to know what your plans
are. Perhaps I d evd even give you suggestions on how to handle Dr.
Granger?"
Voldemort looked at him shrewdly, as if he were reading Draco's mind. For a
moment, Draco felt an almost overwhelming anxiety, but the Dark Lord just
nodded and said, "Yes, I suppose you have a point. You've earned the right
to know."
Standing up slowly, he walked rather unsteadily to an old bookcase and
pulled out a heavy leather tome, gold letters faded on its cover. Turning to
Draco he said, "What do you know of the Sentients, Mr. Malfoy?"
"I know that Hermione is a Sentient and that they're a special brand of
Healer, capable of healing injuries from Dark Magic. I know that all Sentients
belong to the Order of Chiron, which is a secret society of Master Healers. The
training is grueling, according to Hermione. I also know that she carries the
Mark of The Phoenix on her neck, which allows her to bestow a healing kiss to
someone who is moments away from death due to Dark Magic. General stuff,
really."
Voldemort nodded. "While what you are saying is true, there is one
other special gift that is bestowed upon the Sentients, one which allows them
to perform the ultimate Healing. Have you ever heard of The Sentient Healing
Ritual?"
Draco frowned. "No, I can't say that I have. What is it?"
Voldemort held up the cover of the book for Draco's inspection. "I have
obtained a copy of a rare book called, "Arcanus Sentiens". It
outlines the secrets of the Sentient and I came across something rather
interesting. The Sentient Healing Ritual allows the Sentient to completely
transfer his or her powers over to another individual, to combine with the
innate magical abilities of that other person. It allows the individual who is
being healed to become even more than he was before . . . more powerful, more
vigorous and more vital. That is my interest in Hermione Granger. With her
help, I will rise to an even greater power than before, when that Potter brat
ruined all my plans."
Draco let out a low whistle. "That's unbelievable! Hermione never
mentioned it to me."
The Dark Lord let out a menacinugh.ugh. "That's because she probably
knows nothing about it."p>
p>
"I wouldn't bet on that," thought Draco, remembering
Hermione's look of fear at the mere mention of the book. "But my
Lord," he said carefully. "Would Hermione be willing to undergo The
Sentient Healing Ritual with you? It sounds very extreme."
"Oh, she will, my boy. I'll make sure of it. The only catch is that she
has to undergo the process willingly, and I'm counting on you to help me
persuade her." He gave Draco a penetrating look with his bright red eyes.
"Consider it done, my Lord. And if I may say, I think it best we
approach Hermione with the idea that your intentions are peaceful."
Voldemort snorted. "It's unlikely that she would believe that."
"Oh, but she will! I've already laid the foundation, my Lord. I've been
talking to her at length about Muggle history. She seems intent upon comparing
you to Hitler, who was the leader of Muggle Germany --"
"I know who he was!" Voldemort snapped. "He was a fool! He
had a chance to gain his empire slowly, piece by piece, but he forced war with
his unnecessary aggressiveness and instead lost everything." He paused
before continuing. "Though I see where you're coming from, with regard to
Dr. Granger. If she is a student of Muggle history, then she knows that
mistakes were made where Hitler was concerned." He stroked his pointy
chin, deep in thought. "Perhaps you are right," he said. "I will
tell her that my plan is to court the wizarding world with talk of unification
and peace. I will make her believe that I want to avoid bloodshed. Of course,
once complacency sets in, I will strike quickly . . . The Order of The Phoenix
won't even know what hit them." He gave a self-satisfied smile. "Dr.
Granger need not know of my true intentions. We will persuade her that
restoring my powers is the best road to peace. If what you're telling me is
true, it's what she wants to hear and she will cooperate. If she does not, you
will both forfeit your lives. Do we have a deal, my boy?"
"Yes, my Lord." Draco paused for a moment before asking, "And
what of the Shattering Potion and spell? What are your plans in that
regard?"
"Enough! I have already told you enough."
Draco almost ground his teeth in frustration. Instead, he just ed aed and
asked, "When are we to meet with you?
Voldemort relaxed and leaned back in his chair. "You are to bring her
to me tomorrow evening. Take her to The Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade at seven
o'clock. There, Death Eaters who will escort you to my latest hiding place will
meet you. I've been moving around a lot, recently."
Draco nodded. "We'll be there." He hesitated before asking,
"I know I've asked many questions and I hope you will forgive me. I'm very
curious about Ginny Weasley. Where does she fit in with all of this?"
Voldemort looked pleased with himself. He gave Draco an ugly, but indulgent
smile. "Ah, well . . . I prefer to keep that a surprise. But if you must
know, I've left her a little message. She'll know what it means."
Draco kept his face carefully impassive.
There was no use denying it any longer. He had to disclose everything he'd
done and everything he knew to Albus Dumbledore. This was proving worse than he
thought.

t wat was time to come clean with The Order of The Phoenix.
***********************************
Hermione looked anxiously at the cauldron as the plum-coloured liquid
convulsed and twirled, a stray bubble rising to its surface. She frowned at the
parchment in her hands before asking, "Is it supposed to be that
colour?"
Severus gave her an affronted look. "Are you doubting my calculations,
Dr. Granger?"
Hermione grinned. After spending a serene afternoon together, they'd finally
made their way to the Potions Lab, pausing on their journey to grope and kiss
each other, pressing their hands along now familiar territory. Despite the
seriousness of their project, Severus' low laugh echoed off the thick
stonewalls, as they entered the Lab to find the latest version of the potion
simmering over a low fire.
He hovered over the cauldron to carefully stir the liquid. "I was
having trouble maintaining the final effects of the potion," he said.
"Remember, the purpose here is to render the soul unstable for at least
five seconds, allowing the initial jolt of magic from the Spell to initiate the
process of soul shattering. It's important that there be that lag time, so that
the maximum effects of the potion is evident to us. We must initiate the Soul
Shattering Spell at just the moment when the soul is at its peak of
instability."
Hermione nodded in understanding. "So how did you adjust the
formula?"
"I allowed the fluxweed to heat about a quarter of an hour longer. I
think that will do the trick." He gave her a sideways glance. "It
won't be ready for testing until later on tonight and by then you'll be--"
He stopped when he saw the look on her face.
"I'll be back at Hogwarts," she said quietly. She tried to keep
her voice steady, but failed miserably.
"Come here," he whispered, as he gathered her in his arms.
"You knew we couldn't stay here together forever, Hermione. You have to go
back before you're missed. We're taking a big enough chance as it is. If I
wasn't sure that Albus would contact us immediately if there was a problem, I
would never have chanced it." He kissed the top of her head.
"I know," she whispered. "I don't regret any of this, but
it's going to be so hard to go back."
"Soon, my love," he said. "Soon it will be over."
She lifted her head to touch her lips to his cheek. "Severus," she
murmured. "There is something we need to talk about, something I've been
turning over and over in my mind. I need to talk to you about The Order of
Chiron and the book, "Arcanus Sentiens".
Severus nodded slowly. "I was wondering if you'd ever get to that.
Albus told me that Voldemort has shown an interest in the book. I take it you
know more than you've let on?"
"Yes," she said, as she took his hand and led him to a chair. She
pulled up another one and they sat facing each other. She clasped both of his
hands before speaking.
"The Order of Chiron was named after the centaur Chiron, of Greek
Mythology. Chiron's mother was a water-nymph who, while trying to run from
Zeus' amorous overtures, turned herself into a horse. She did not escape,
however, and Zeus impregnated her. When she gave birth, she was shocked to see
that her newborn was half horse, half boy. The mother was so terrified that she
prayed to the gods to be changed into a tree. Her wish was granted. Thus, both
of Chiron's parents abandoned him. Instead of dwelling on that, though, he
became a skilled teacher and healer. One day, while he was handing a poisoned
arrow to a student, it dropped and pierced his leg. Since his father was a god,
he was immortal, so he could not die. In terrible pain, he prayed to the gods
to let him die. They, in gratitude for his teachings, let him out of his misery
and placed him in the sky."
"And what does that--"
"There's more," said Hermione. "Chiron was known as the
'wounded healer', someone who knew about pain and suffering because of the events
in his own life. The Order of Chiron is a group of healers who use Earth
Energies to heal those in deep pain and who are suffering greatly. The process
of becoming a Sentient is very demanding because it requires that the healer
examine his or her own psyche, to draw upon their own pain and suffering to
empathize with the person being healed. It was one of the hardest things I've
ever done. While I was training, we were told of a book, "Arcanus
Sentiens", which outlines a process by which the Sentient could perform
the most ultimate healing imaginable. It is thought to be a ritual of some
kind, but nobody knows the details because the book has been lost for
centuries."
"Until now."
Hermione nodded. "Voldemort has apparently found the book. It likely gives
the details of the ritual, but there is one thing that survived the loss of the
book, one piece of information that scares me more than anything." Her
body began to shake.
Severus pulled her from her chair and set her down on his lap. He put his
arms around her and said in a soothing voice, "Nothing will happen to you,
Hermione. I promise I'll never let Voldemort hurt you. What is it that is
frightening you?"
Hermione pulled herself together and willed her body to stop its trembling.
She looked up at Severus.
"Once the Sentient performs the healing ritual, all of her powers are
transferred to the other individual. Because we draw upon Earth energies, the
sheer quantity of the magic we possess is enough to make the person we're
healing into the most powerful wizard on Earth. By ourselves, Sentients are
very powerful, but our energy combined with the energy of another, renders that
person practically invincible. It's why it has rarely been performed. Only in
times of great strife and turmoil has a Sentient been willing to undergo the
ritual. It's only been performed twice, according to legend. Both times, it
turned the tide in a devastating war."
A look of comprehension dawned on Severus' face. "Voldemort--"
Hermione nodded and tears began to form. "And it gets even worse for
me," she whispered. Looking deep in his eyes she said, "The process
would completely drain my magical abilities."
She drew in a shaky breath before continuing.
"If Voldemort forces me to undergo the ritual, I will become a Muggle."
***********************************************************
After leaving the unpleasantness of Voldemort's company, Draco felt
completely lost and alone. He'd Disapparated back to Knockturn Alley and
immediately began looking for a pub. He needed a good, stiff drink.
It never failed to amaze him that there were terrible things going on in the
wizarding world, yet the witches and wizards of Britain seemed oblivious t
al
all. Tortures, killings and horrendous rituals occurred on a daily basis yet
life seemed to hum along like none of it was happening.
Denial was not just confined to the Muggle world.
Burdened with his knowledge, Draco felt a desolation within that threatened
to completely sink his lagging spirits. "Perhaps I need a little denial of
my own," he thought. He needed to escape the Darkness, even if it was only
for a little while. Looking around at the creepy inhabitants of Knockturn
Alley, he made a decision to go to Diagon Alley instead.
It was full of shiny, happy people.
Walking briskly to Diagon Alley, Draco sauntered along the street and
paused, stunned to see a vision of ultimate innocence and beauty reclined just
a few metres away.
Ginny Weasley was sitting on a bench outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream
Parlor, her bright red hair glowing in the sunlight. She was eating an ice
cream sundae, her face alight with childlike delight.
Draco found himself entranced at the sigh/p>
/p>
She looked up and saw him standing there, giving her a most intense,
invasive look. She shivered involuntarily. Ever since she'd learned that he was
secretly working for The Order of The Phoenix, she had been unable to get him
out of her mind. Somewhere along the way, he'd transformed himself in her mind
from a bratty, cruel bully into a rather romantic, tragic hero.
It helped that he was physically stunning, with his flowing blond hair and
large silver-coloured eyes. The last time she'd seen him, she'd noticed that he
had incredibly long, dark blonde lashes framing those gorgeous eyes. In the
past, his horrible personality had cancelled out any physical appeal that he
may have had, but now . . .
Now she found him beautiful.
She looked down at her hands as they began to shake under his intense gaze.
He belonged to Hermione. Why on earth was she thinking of him like that?
He walked over and sat down on the bench next to her. Reaching over, he
poked his finger in her ice cream, taking a deep scoop before sensuously
licking his finger. Ginny almost fainted at the sight, but instead she snapped
at him.
"That's rude, Malfoy! Didn't anybody ever teach you any manners?"
"They tried, Weasley. I guess it just never took," he said with a
chuckle. His face turned serious.
"I have reason to believe that Voldemort has sent you a message,"
he announced abruptly. "Is it true?"
Ginny didn't dare ask him how he knew of it. She was puzzled, however,
because despite Harry's warning, there had been no sign of Voldemort's interest
in her. She knew that she was being constantly watched by undercover Aurors,
but they were so good at their jobs that Ginny never noticed anybody following
her, despite her knowledge that they were there. They were apparently content
to keep their distance.
She shook her head at Draco. "I don't know what you're talking about. I
haven't heard anything from that monster."
Draco gave an inward sigh of relief. Perhaps Voldemort had been lying.
"Even so, Weasley, I think it best that we go back to your place. It's
possible that Voldemort has left a message and you just haven't been around to
receive it. Have you been home today?"
Ginny shook her head again. "I had to work this morning, so I've been
gone for hours. What the hell--" Draco had grabbed her arm and pulled her
up.
"Let's go. I need to check your flat." She yanked her arm away but
he gave her a look that told her it would be useless to argue. She sighed in
resignation as they began walking together towards her flat.
Draco had been so completely consumed by her presence next to him that at
first, it didn't register that his old school chums, Pansy Parkinson and
Gregory Goyle were blocking their path, a brood of square-faced, fat children
in tow. Goyle had gotten Parkinson knocked up during their final year at
Hogwarts and while the thought of it caused Draco unending nausea, he smiled at
them politely. Pansy wore the pinched look common to all wives of Death Eaters,
as she sniffed at him in distaste.
"Draco," she screeched. "Whatever on earth are you doing with
that Thing?" She pointed an accusing finger at Ginny. Ginny visibly
bristled and opened her mouth to properly insult the pug-faced woman.
"I'm slumming," explained Draco. "Now, if you don't mind,
please get out of my way."
Goyle pressed in closer to Draco. "You're the talk of Society, these
days. Slumming indeed. It's well known that you've been keeping company with
Hermione Granger. What's the matter, can't you decide which Gryffindor whore
you want?" Almost before he could finish his sentence, Draco had shoved
him against the storefront wall of Eeylops Owl Emporium, his wand poised between
Goyle's beady little eyes. "You always were an idiot," he hissed.
"Don't go poking your fingers where they don't belong. Believe me, I know
from experience that they're likely to get bitten off." His voice lowered
to a conspiratorial whisper. "There is more to what you see than meets the
eye."
Goyle was certainly thick as a plank, but even he could take the hint. He
backed off.
Ginny eyed Pansy and couldn't resist a dig of her own. "Why Pansy, are
you pregnant again?"
Pansy looked down at herself in confusion.
"Oh nevermind," said Ginny smugly. "I guess you're just
fat."
Draco roared with exaggerated laughter. Ignoring Pansy's sputtering, they
left the Goyles to continue on their way towards Ginny's flat. Draco couldn't
resist saying, "Good one, Weasley," out of the corner of his mouth.
Ginny grinned.
It was beginning to feel rather friendly, walking with him. Perhaps that was
what was prompting her to ask him a personal question, one she knew she had no
business asking. She abruptly stopped walking.
"I need to ask you something, Malfoy. Promise you'll give me an honest
answer?" Draco instantly looked guarded.
"It depends. You can ask me about my fashion sense and my opinions on
art and literature, but everything else is off limits."
She glared at him. "It's about Hermione. Are you really in love with
her?"
Draco looked at her in surprise. "Why are you asking?" He raised
his eyebrow suggestively. "Do you want a little Malfoy Magic for
yourself?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I knew it was pointless to try having a serious
conversation with you." She continued to walk and he followed her in
silence.
Once they'd reached her flat, she unlocked the door and they stepped inside.
For a moment, Ginny felt embarrassed about her dingy apartment, with its worn
furniture and chipped paint. To her surprise and relief, Draco didn't seem to
notice. He certainly didn't make any disparaging comments, which astonished her
even more.
Instead, he was frantically looking around her flat for any signs of a
message from Voldemort. He turned to Ginny and asked her where her bedroom was.
She pointed to the door and without a word, Draco walked into her bedroom. She
followed behind him, closely.
Sitting on her bed was a small, silver box and Ginny let out a startled
noise. She walked over to the box and reached to pick it up, but Draco barked,
"Don't touch it!" Taking out his wand, he levitated the box and
cautiously opened it.
It was a music box. The tinkling sounds of a melody by Richard Wagner were
released when the lid was opened, but instead of a pretty little spinning
pixie, this music box held a small, writhing green snake. Ginny recoiled at the
sight.
The snake opened its mouth and hissed in a familiar voice, "Ginny, my
love. Surely you remember me from our time together in the Chamber of Secrets?
It's me, Tom Riddle." The snake hissed with delight.
Ginny began to tremble and she backed away from the box. The snake
continued, "You remember the feel of my hands upon you as I stroked your
silky hair and soft skin, don't you? I certainly remember. I remember how you
responded to my touch as I fondled your breasts and your secret places. I can't
wait to do it again, now that you're all grown up!" On impulse, Draco blew
up the music box and it exploded in a flurry of harsh green sparks.
Ginny let out an anguished scream. All the secret walls surrounding that
incident came tumbling down and now Draco Malfoy knew, of all people! She
blindly turned un aun away.
Draco ran after her, calling for her, but she barely heard him.
He finally caught up with her and swiftly pulled her into his arms before
she could take flight out the front door.
"It's alright," he whispered. "He's not here, he can't hurt
you." He continued to hold her tightly.
Overcome with guilt and shame she clutched at him as she wailed.

To be continued . . .
- 17
- 18
- 19
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Shattered