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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
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- 66-66
- 67-67
- 68-68
- 69-69
- 70-70
- 71-71
- 72-72
- 73-73
- 74-74
- 75-75
- 76-76
- 77-77
- 78-78
- 79-79
- 80-80
- 81-81
- 82-82
- 83-83
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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
- 32
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Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

It was just after half six when she emerged from the first memory. “Shit,” she said. “That was… Shit!” She crumpled to the floor, head in her hands. “I can’t believe it!”

Snape said nothing, but just watched her carefully from behind his desk. She sat quietly on the library floor as her mind processed what she had just seen. “Merlin’s balls,” she breathed eventually. She looked up at Snape. “You… you never… I mean, I…” She shifted so she was facing him directly. “I’m sor…”

“Don’t… don’t say it,” he snarled.

“But…”

“No, Miss Granger! I do not want to hear it.”

She paused a moment, waiting until he relaxed in his chair again. “If everything I just saw is true… then why…? Why….?”

He looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

“Why did you do… it?”

“I’ve done many things, Miss Granger. To what do you refer precisely?”

She took a deep breath. “Why did you kill him? Professor Dumbledore, I mean?”

Her question was met with stony silence for a few seconds, before Snape stood, turning away from her so she couldn’t read the expression on his face.

“Because…” his voice was tortured. “…he asked me to.”

“Who? Vol… I mean, You-Know-Who?”

“No, Dumbledore.”

What? “But… why?” She was completely flabbergasted. “Why would he want you to do such a thing?”

“The headmaster was dying, Miss Granger.” Snape’s voice was rough and unsteady, a far cry from his usual measure, elegant drawl. “He would have been dead within a few months at best and he needed a way to ensure me a place as close to the Dark Lord as possible. He wanted to make sure I was trusted as much as possible, so that I was in the best position to hear and relay crucial information.”

“But that’s…. horrible! she cried. “How could he ask you to do something like that? He must have known what everyone would think. All of your… friends… everyone… they all hate you!”

“I am no stranger to that sentiment, Miss Granger, as you are no doubt aware,” he spoke bitterly. Abruptly he laughed, the sound ringing hollow in her ears. “It also had the added benefit of ensuing I have no one to turn to, nowhere to go, if I wanted out of his schemes. Albus probably wanted to make sure I didn’t give up and run.”

“I don’t think he would have thought you would do that, Professor.”

“Why not?” he spat. “I’ve thought about it many times, I told him so more than once. You think I want to do this, any of it?” His voice had risen in intensity with each sentence, and he suddenly seemed to realised he was shouting, looming over her angrily as she cowered in the face of his vehemence.

“Do not presume to know me, Miss Granger, just because you know one small thing about me.” His voice was soft and he seemed to fold in on himself as he sat down. “Now… are you ready to move on to the next memory of do you wish to eat first?”

He surprised her with the sudden change of topic, and she was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke. “Professor, I have a question…” Snape just snorted but said nothing. “At the end of the memory I just saw, I was about to ask you something, but then the memory ended. Snape shifted, looking uncomfortable. “What happened? What did I ask you? It seemed fairly important to me at the time.”

Snape cleared his throat, looking away so as not to meet her eyes. For the second time that day she thought he looked embarrassed. “It is not relevant to what we need to accomplish today.”

“But…”

“You will have a chance to see that memory another time, Miss Granger. We have more important things to concern ourselves with today.” His tone brooked no argument, and Hermione knew it would be pointless to press him further.

“What about…?”

“What did I tell you about asking questions…?” Snape rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.

Hermione glared at him. “The situation is different today, Professor,” she deadpanned, repeating his own words back to him. He just rolled his eyes and didn’t answer. “I saw you show me a memory. It convinced me to trust you when you first brought me here. What did I see and are you going to show me it again?”

“That was something I do not wish to share again. I did not wish to show it to you the first time, but it was necessary then.”

She hazarded a guess. “Did you show me the memory of Professor Dumbledore asking you to, you know, kill him…?”

“That was part of it, yes.”

“Then, why….?”

“No, Miss Granger. I will not discuss this further. Those memories are personal, and they will stay that way. Do not ask me again. Now, do you wish to eat before we continue?” Again he changed the subject before she had a chance to protest.

“No, thank you Professor. I’m not hungry yet.”

“Very well. Once you have seen these next memories we will go to my study so you can speak to the painting of Professor Dumbledore. I’m sure you will have some questions that I am unable to answer, and I will arrange for our breakfast then.” He got up and stood over the pensieve, removing the first memory with his wand and depositing it back in its phial, and uncorking another and pouring it in. He gestured to her once it was ready.

Hermione stood, moving over to the pensieve. Before she put her face to the silvery liquid she looked up at Snape, who had moved over and was standing beside her. She gently laid a hand on his arm and smiled up at him, then leant down and disappeared into the memories.

They appeared in the tiny alley with a crack. Hermione untangled her arm from Snape’s immediately, and instead he quickly grabbed her hand disillusioning them both quickly.

“Won’t someone have heard that? She whispered. “Won’t they come to look?”

“There is no one here particularly connected with either side. It is unlikely anyone will be concerned enough to investigate. Most people will be at work in any case,” he replied. “Now, this way, I believe.” He set off at a brisk pace, pulling her along behind him, away from the small square she had glimpsed at the end of the alley. It felt very odd not be able to see him but to feel him tugging on her arm.

They passed a few more alleys that intersected theirs, pausing at each one, and Hermione assumed Snape was checking to make sure no one was coming, before dragging her across quickly. There was never anyone. She hadn’t seen a single soul since arriving, and the village was deathly silent, the absence of sounds sending chilled down her spine.

“Why is it so quiet?” she whispered.

“Use your brains, silly girl. Just because no one here is fighting for either side doesn’t mean they are not aware of what’s going on. Anyone with any sense will have as many wards up around their homes as possible, and will only leave when they have to. No more questions, Miss Granger.”

His grip tightened as they reached the end of the alley. She felt him pause, peering out into the empty space beyond. “Come.” They quickly crossed the small dirt path that wound its way around the edge of the small village. Snape was now moving faster than she could walk easily, and he kept tugging on her arm, half dragging her along with him.

The sea loomed in front of them. It had begun to spit, and the cool breeze blowing in front the sea felt incredible on her face. It was a miserable day, but she was enjoying every second of her freedom from the dark chambers back in the castle.

They passed through an empty field that bordered the beach, the grass long and rough, unsuitable even for grazing. The ground beneath their feet quickly gave way to sand as they neared the beach, and she found herself stumbling as it gave way under the plain shows Snape had transfigured for her. From the way he continued to tug on her hand she had to assume he wasn’t having the same problems that she was.

“Hang on,” she grumbled, pulling at him. He stopped and she took the moment to pull each shoe off and empty it of the sand that had crept in, before replacing them. She’d let go of his hand while she was sorting her shoes, and when she looked up she realised she had no idea where he was.

“Professor?” she called, feeling suddenly very lonely and exposed. She wave her hands out in front of her, connecting eventually with something soft and round. I’m not sure I want to know what that was.

She heard him sigh. “Here, Miss Granger. He grabbed her hand without any fumbling, How…? and pulled her on, down onto the beach. Luckily the sand was soft and dry, and as they walked along the beach their footprints crumbled into shapeless craters in the sand, indistinguishable from the rest.

Hermione ran into Snape’s invisible back as he stopped suddenly. “This should be sufficient.” She heard a rustle and then there was a pause. “Expecto Patronum,” he whispered, almost reverently.

Hermione gasped as a silvery doe appeared, bounding away and disappearing a little further down the sand. It was the doe she had seen in her own memories. But that means…. It was Snape that gave us the sword… The realisation only strengthened her newly-fledged trust in him. She was sure that she’d heard somewhere that no death-eaters were capable of producing a fully-fledged patronus. That Snape could, obviously showed there was more to him than met the eye. I wonder what his happy memory is, she thought. He’s such a grumpy bastard I wouldn’t have guessed he has one strong enough.

Snape spoke again, unaware of her introspection. “I will wait here, Miss Granger. Please memorise the spot. As soon as he appears I will release the concealment on you. Be quick and to the point. I will be unable to move again until he has left or I will risk giving myself away. I do not need to remind you that no one can know that I am here, and you will only give him the information he needs. If he suspects…”

“Yes, I remember,” she replied testily. “It’s not like you didn’t tell me this twenty times already…” she mumbled under her breath. She could almost feel the heat of his glare on her face, but chose instead to look around for some sort of mark to come back to. There… there was a large clump of grass at the back of the beach that stuck out in a funny way.

The doe reappeared suddenly, heading back towards them. The air behind it shimmered, and Harry and Ron materialised. The moment they saw each other all three began to run. They slowed down and stopped a few paces from each other. She realised that both boys had pulled out their wands and were fingering them nervously.

“Hermione, is that really you?” Ron asked eagerly.

“Of course it is, you nitwit,” she replied. “I’m so glad to see you both.” She moved to hug them, but Harry raised his wand at her, so that she had to stop suddenly.

“Sorry, Hermione,” he said, shrugging. “Got to make sure. Tell us something that only you would know about.”

Her mind went blank for a moment.

“What did you do to stop Harry from being throw off his broom during his first Quidditch match? asked Ron.

He couldn’t have possibly asked anything else, could he? She was aware that Snape could very likely be listening to every word. “I… set fire to Snape’s robes,” she whispered, praying he couldn’t hear.

“That’s my girl,” said Ron, going to hug her.

“No,” said Harry, looking at Ron, his wand still pointed at Hermione. “One more. We need to be sure.” He looked back at her. “What have we been looking for the past 9 months?”

Shit, the one question I can’t answer, not if he might hear. “I’m sorry, Harry. I can’t say it, not now.” Both boys’ hands tightened on their wands. She continued quickly, before they got the wrong idea. “But I can say that you found one in our second year, and another with Dumbledore, the night that he… ummm… died.”

Ron glanced at Harry, and took his cue from him when he relaxed, putting away his wand and smiling sheepishly at her. Hermione threw herself at the two boys, wrapping her arms around the both of them, and they responded warmly.

“Bloody hell, Hermione, what happened to you?”

“Where have you been? We thought Voldemort still had you.”

Both boys spoke at the same time. She pulled back slightly so she could see the two of them, and they all looked at each other and laughed.

“Gods, I’ve missed both of you so much,” she cried. “I’m so sorry, but I ca…”

She realised that she no longer had their attention. Both of them were looking past her, and she turned her head to see what had caught their notice. It was Snape’s patronus. It walked slowly up to the spot where she knew he was standing, raising its head to look up. It seemed to nuzzle something with the side of its head as it slowly faded away.

“Isn’t that…?” asked Harry.

“Yes,” she replied sadly. “It is.”

Harry and Ron stood on the other side of the invisible barrier as they watched Hermione turn around and walk a few metres in the opposite direction.

“I don’t know why she couldn’t have just stayed with us,” grumbled Ron.

“She said it was important. You know Hermione. I don’t think she’d lie about something like that.”

“Well at least we know exactly what it is we’re looking for now. That’s something at least.”

“What’s she doing?” said Harry.

They watched in confusion as Hermione stopped, waved her arm around in front of her for a moment. She shook her head at something, turned and looked back in their general direction with a sad smile. She mouthed something, then suddenly, with a quiet crack, she was gone.

The boys looked at each other with identical expressions of bewilderment.

“What was that about?” said Ron.

Harry just shrugged. “Come on, let’s get back inside. It’s freezing out here and we’ve got a lot to talk about.” He turned back and started trudging through the soft sand towards the cottage that stood on the edge of the beach. Ron stared at the space where Hermione had disappeared for a moment longer.

“I don’t like it,” he said moodily. “I hope she’s ok.”
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Memories of Deception