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The Spinner's Web of Deceit	By : amethystJck Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 2912 -:- 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
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I apologize for taking a week to update this time. All I have to say is that the irritating storm Ernesto is a bitch. Lack of a constant power supply and the occassional drive through almost completely flooded streets sucks. My peace offering to those who constantly emailed me from a few of the archives about updating a.s.a.p. is a chapter that is three times as long as the majority of any in my fanfic moments. Long live the sexy, intriguing, multifaceted Snape!

That had not been the last time that evening that Miss Granger wished to be able to shove the tin of candy in an unsavory location on her former Headmaster’s personage. As Dumbledore outlined his plan, her eyes grew as wide as saucers. Snape looked as if his thoughts weren’t too far from Hermione’s, although he hid it behind his normally unflappable exterior.
“Headmaster, surely you’ve made a error! Severus and I aren’t truly in a relationship at all. We just happen to be-.” Hermione started to say before being interrupted by Albus Dumbledore.

“Curled up on a sofa wrapped in each others arms after making love?” Dumbledore postulated, a smile on his friendly face. At this, Hermione blushed and averted her eyes. What would they think of her if they knew what was really occurring between her and Severus? What would her friends say? Hermione gnawed on her lower lip trying to contain a sense of foreboding.

“It’s alright, Miss Granger. I’ve been in your position before,”McGonagall said, “It can be rather complicated when you find yourself in love with a man who is so much older. That he was just a few months ago, your professor, surely doesn’t aid in simplifying the situation.”
Hermione’s shock and embarrassment kept her normally insistent questions to a minimum. She remained relatively quiet for the remainder of the conversation, with the exception of a few questions that Albus Dumbledore skillfully evaded.

Severus simply sat on the sofa, biting his tongue and waiting for the opportune moment to make his move. At any given time it is inadvisable to pull a serpent’s tail. When the aforementioned serpent is already tense and in defensive mode, it is not only inadvisable; it is downright idiotic. Already the wheels were turning in his head as he tried to think of the most suitable way to get out of this predicament or at the very least maneuver it into his favor.

“I’m so pleased to see that you have found love Severus.” Dumbledore said with a soft, almost sad look on his aged features. “That is why a part of me regrets what I’m asking of you and Miss Granger. However, we must all make sacrifices in desperate times”

Snape was perplexed, although he managed to maintain his impassive facade. With an opening line like that, whatever was about to be said was not something he was going to savor. These words almost mirrored the way Dumbledore had begun their conversation less than a year ago when the Headmaster had forced his hand and ordered that he kill him.

At that time Severus had been running short on time as Draco’s movements became increasingly desperate thus making the boy more erratic and careless. The Weasley boy’s near death experience on his birthday had been a prime example of this recklessness. If Potter had not been given Severus’s old potions text at the beginning of that school year, there was a high probability that the golden trio would have been short one member. While Potter seemed to not care that it was Snape’s entry in the text that had saved his friend; that had been one of the factors that contributed to Miss Granger’s determination to figure him out. She looked at the man like he was a puzzle, and if she just kept rearranging pieces, she would be able to solve him.

What she failed to recognize is that the nature of Severus Snape was a constantly shifting paradigm. He could never stay exactly the same. To do so would only lead to his untimely demise. While he had a firm set of personal beliefs that he lived by, he always had to be willing to reform them and maintain a flexibility which his consistently cold exterior could never betray. For making these changes evident to those around him could also lead to his downfall. As he had no desire to die in the near future, he was forced to continuously evolve.

He was not without handicaps when it came to this process. His hatred for all things Potter had proven an obstacle for him many a time even though he had always managed to do what he had to so that he could keep the brat and his friends safe. He earnestly felt that Potter needed to refashion many of his ideas if he were ever going to win this war. That alone would give him the advantage because although the self styled Lord Voldemort was a brilliant and very powerful wizard, his closed mindedness held him back from any further transformation and development.
Thoughts swirling through his mind, he focused on the headmaster. Looking from the perch in the portrait into the brown eyes of Hermione, Dumbledore continued to speak to the two of them. His blue eyes betrayed an exhaustion known only to those who had seen entirely too much of war and sadly too little of peace. “Miss Granger, I take it that Severus has been providing you with information to give to the Order?” With a slight nod, she acknowledged his query. “I see that it has led to the two of you finding a companionship in each other which is crucial to defeating Tom Riddle. Love is ever important and constitutes the strongest of the weapons which we have in our arsenal.”

Hermione looked at Severus, trying to determine whether or not to make another attempt to tell Dumbledore what was really going on. As she met the dark gaze of Severus, she saw the wisdom of keeping silent on what had happened. This was the perfect way to pave the path for him to return to the Order as a full member. No longer would she have to subtly drop hints in conversations to members while trying not to reveal too much. It had been incredibly taxing for her, especially when her stubborn friends had refused to listen to her half of the time, while the other half of the time the older adults would brush her speculation off as the thoughts of a child. She may be young, but she was not named the brightest witch of her age for her lack of skill in problem solving.

Often McGonagall would practically have to beat the other Order members upside the head with conclusions that Hermione and Snape had worked hard on for hours and sometimes days before each meeting. This had many times fueled Hermione’s temper and she had ranted to Snape, who fully understood being taken for granted. He had permitted the young woman a few minutes of complaining before interrupting her with a calmly stated, “Miss Granger, if you have finished bemoaning your lack of ability to show off at Order meetings, we have work ahead of us.” She would look at him resentfully for a moment before resuming her research with the aid of the former potions master.

It took her a little over a month of working with him to realize that behind his harsh words, what he was actually saying was, “I understand your frustration, but there is more necessary, albeit thankless work ahead. We do not have the time for you to sulk.” She would look at him with a confused expression on her face when she thought that he wouldn’t notice after this comprehension had dawned on her. She had begun to note more and more moments like this. He may not have been extraordinarily fond of her, but he understood and even related to certain aspects of her personality although he had a completely different approach to dealing with it. Furthermore, in spite of their differences, he constantly pushed her to utilize her strengths. This often took the form of other backhanded comments that initially angered her, but meant something else under their surface.

She more often had been finding herself not dreading the meetings with Severus quite as much as she had at the beginning. Once she had begun to see at least one of the layers of his personality that she had rarely if ever been exposed to whilst his student, she couldn’t help but wonder what this man was truly about. She had begun to suspect that although he was still quite often a self serving bastard, he in some ways was a far better man than he let on.

This was a factor in her decision to not tell the occupants of the portrait the truth once she had met his gaze. Severus Snape would never admit it, but she deeply suspected that his temperament was the result of having far too few true allies in his lifetime. She might not be able to remedy that, but she would not be responsible for making the hellish existence of the surly man next to her even more unbearable. She would hold her ground and try help him even though when his eyes had scanned hers, apparently looking into her mind he had irritably uttered under his breath, “Gryffindors,”leaving arguably no question as to what he thought of her conjecture.

“It is imperative that the two of you feed false information to Tom,” Dumbledore stated. Drawing the attention of his companions at the mention of Voldemort’s true name. “I will not be requesting that Miss Granger go with you, Severus, as that would endanger the both of you. Perhaps you can explain your relationship as a ruse to work your way back into the Order. You can tell Tom that Miss Granger is your key to being able to continue to spy for him.”

Snape quietly stroked his lip while mulling over the old man’s demands. Albus wanted Snape and Miss Granger’s ‘couple hood’ to be used as a means to feed the Dark Lord misleading information about the Order. The Dark Lord would feel that he had his spy and Severus would no longer have to hide his comings and goings from Headquarters. He had already sealed the Dark Lord’s trust in him with Dumbledore’s murder. If he were able to seem like he had found another way to figure out the plans of the Order and the boy who lived, he would be placed even higher in the Dark Lord’s estimation. This would make him privy to even more information that could be very helpful in ending this war and hopefully keeping him out of Azkaban for the second time in his life.

As he contemplated the elderly wizard’s plan he realized that he could use this time to take care of another matter that had been weighing on him as of late. This would be just the time to get Draco in the Order and out of the line of fire at least temporarily. If Draco had been telling him the truth in relaying the events that happened before his arrival at the Astronomy Tower, then Albus would provide him a safe haven as long as the boy seemed to have changed to Severus’ satisfaction.

“Miss Granger,”Dumbledore began to ask while popping another one of those infernal lemon drops, “do you still have a means of contacting, I believe you called them Dumbledore’s Army?”

“Yes, headmaster,” she replied. She worriedly looked at Severus from the corner of her eye, knowing that he was none too fond of many of the D.A.’s members.
“I believe that now is the time for the Order to prepare the next generation of soldiers for the light.”

Severus held in a sigh. Just what he needed. To once more have to deal with a bunch of fumbling dunderheads was horribly unfair. Now on top of an already unconscionable load he had to worry about Dumbledore’s demand that Miss Granger gather the members of that rag tag Dumbledore’s Army

“But, Albus, they are only children,”Minerva said, worry etched on her narrow features.

“It may very well be what is left of their innocence that will save us all. True love is most deeply felt oft times by the youngest in our midst. Besides that Minerva, the vast majority of them are now of age and have become young adults right under our noses. One only needs to look at Miss Granger as an example of this fact.”

“Absolutely not!” exclaimed Minerva her face coloring in aggravation. “Now I’m willing to be understanding of her circumstances, but-.”

“They are after all my army are they not?”Albus continued, obviously ignoring Minerva’s outburst. “I promised to aid those who still believe in me who ask. I can only help them by preparing them for what lies ahead.”

“I believe that there is one more who should, perhaps, be added to their ranks,” Severus intoned dryly. He had to attempt to protect his charge. Though Draco could be a bit of a nuisance at times, he felt an almost fatherly affection towards the young wizard. Hermione looked at him sending her silent support. Quirking a sable brow at her, he turned to answer the former headmaster’s question.

“Who would that be Severus?”Dumbledore asked.

“Draco Malfoy,”Severus said. His nervousness was only betrayed by the quickening of his pulse. A change that would be unobserved by all with the exception of the witch in his arms. He didn’t really know why he had not immediately released her upon the appearance of his former colleagues. He just knew that her nearness had a bit of a calming affect and it was far less conspicuous to hold onto her than to reach for the calming draught that he secreted in his robes and rank in copious amounts on a regular basis.

“You can’t be serious!”Minerva exploded. Although Mr. Malfoy had been quite a promising student she had no desire to bring him into Grimmauld Place. It was just absolutely ridiculous thinking that he would be able to work well with his school yard nemesis and their friends. As far as she was concerned it was just out of the question.

“I most assuredly am,”he responded. Narrowing his eyes he shot a venomous look in her direction. This was not lost on Dumbledore who sat next to her. He understood Severus’ need to protect the young man. Draco Malfoy had been teetering on the edge for quite some time now. This was eerily similar to the incidents that had driven Severus into his service those many years ago.

Unknown to many, Severus had befriended the muggle born Lily Evans. Eventually befriending Lupin through this he had learned of the Order and some of their actions outside of the sniveling that the traitorous Pettigrew did at the Dark Lord’s feet. It had been with a heavy heart he had signed the death sentence of one of the only witches he had known true friendship with. Lily had been almost like a sister to him, often giving the much needed support that had helped him through his dark times which at that point were more often than not. Her love of study had been very similar to that of Miss Granger’s. When he had realized what was going to happen to Lily and James after revealing a portion of the prophecy to Voldemort he had owled both her and Lupin to request their presence at his home on Spinner’s End. A deep look of concern upon her pale countenance Lily had immediately apparated to his residence. Whatever her friend Severus had to talk about that was apparently of such grave importance, it made her fear not for herself, but for her young son who had seen nothing of the horrors of the world. This was a miraculous occurrence as the tumultuous war raged around their secret kept home. Her little Harry slept peacefully as she had left him, dropping a kiss on his dark head before departing.

She arrived only slightly after Remus, entering the rundown front parlor of Severus’s home before placing a kiss on the cheek of each of the men present. Remus as usual blushed a little at the treatment. It was no secret that neither of her companions had been given much affection in their lives. Settling into a chair, she pulled her seat up to the hard wooden table and taking her usual approach, tackled the issue head on. “What is the reason you urgently owled me and Remus about in the middle of the night? Severus, what is it that you are so worried about?”

A bottle of Ogden’s in one hand and three glasses in the other. Severus poured for all while relaying the events of the past fortnight to his shocked friends. “I regrettably acted without thinking of the consequences beforehand. Lily, there is a traitor in the midst of your precious order and I fear you may have to protect your son with the only means left to you.”

Severus picked up a slim journal that rested on the mantle of his fireplace. Turning to his long time friend and thrusting it into her hands he said, “Here is the only remaining means of protection that I am able to offer you at this time. Now, go!” He had found himself yelling at the end of this statement out of worry for these friends. They were some of the only people who had ever shown him true compassion and he had essentially signed the death warrant of the red headed woman who now clutched the treatise on ancient magic and rituals to her breast so tightly that her knuckles had turned white with the effort.

Hurriedly, Remus and Lily had left his home. Lily shot him a look of deep gratitude and sadness. Remus had paused a moment before leaving and bent down to where Severus sat, sprawled in an armchair that had fabric in the early stages of decay. “I always knew you had it in you to do what’s right. I always knew,” he had murmured. Squeezing Severus’ upper arm before leaving he had dissapparated leaving Severus to indulge himself in a haze of drunkenness and self pity. As Severus drowned himself in Ogdens these words paired with what would possibly be the last look he ever saw cross Lily’s face haunted him.

“After all that happened the night that you were-”Minerva began her tirade before her lover cut her off. He had chosen to stop her words before she could get to the point where she would say the words that would trigger the guilt that Severus had been carrying with him these many years.

It was such a shame to leave more blood on the hands of a man who had never wanted to be murderer in the first place. That Severus had been at the very least indirectly responsible for the deaths of almost everyone who he had cared for still weighed rather heavily on his heart. That was part of his reasoning in welcoming him into the Order after Lily had passed. Remus brought him the book the Severus had given to Lily that night. The book that had enabled her to use the magic that had destroyed Voldemort’s corporeal form and saved the life of Harry Potter.

Shortly after Remus had relayed the events of that night he had gone to Severus and struck a bargain with him in an attempt to bring hope to the desperate, but proud young man who had only a short time before been spying on him under Voldemort’s orders. He had never revealed his motives to another living soul, but he had staunchly defended Severus to the Wizenmagot when they had sought to subject him to a lifetime sentence in Azkaban.

“Yes, after all that has transpired. Young Mr. Malfoy hesitated and would have joined us then had not the other Death Eaters arrived,”Dumbledore stated firmly. He was not going to let another misguided youth suffer because of the machinations of a madman. Draco had hesitated and would have tried to cover his tracks without a murder being committed that night had it been in his power to do so.

“That is ridiculous,”McGonagall said, snorting in disbelief. “He had fully intended to murder you that night.”
A clouded look crossed Snape’s dark eyes. Seeing this, Hermione startled everyone by choosing that moment to speak up. “I agree with Severus and Professor Dumbledore. If he is willing to join us, we would be foolish not to accept him.”

Severus lazily quirked an eyebrow at her. “Do tell?”This would be interesting considering the torment that she had endured at the hands of this very same young man for so many years.

“We may have never gotten along,” she said. Severus snorted at that, before Hermione continued, “but I always found him to be a worthy opponent. There may be no love lost, but I would wager that there is a healthy does of respect on both sides.”

McGonagall looked at her as if a rogue bludger had knocked every shred of sense out of her head. Severus smirked at the startled witch. If Hermione was willing to champion Draco, then there was the distinct possibility that this just might work.

The Followiing Tuesday

Severus was wracked with worry as the Order members settled into their seats. From his perch on Minerva’s hat, he could see that the men and women he had worked so closely with for the a good many years looked worn out and discouraged. He knew that their acceptance of him would be even more begrudging than it had been before. Regardless of what the headmaster had told him from his ridiculous seat on that blasted granny smith apple he seemed so fond of, they would be none too pleased about his return to their ranks.

“Good evening,” Albus began, his blue eyes serious. “There has been a turn of events that has caused me to change our plans.”

“Albus, is that you?” asked Molly Weasley as she stood quickly, a look of shock plastered on her round face.

‘No, it’s the fucking Easter Bunny; try again,’thought Severus. ‘Obviously, it’s him you imbecilic excuse for a-’ his thought was cut short by the headmaster looking at him reproachfully. Quickly, his mental shutters went back up. ‘Damn, meddling old...,’ Severus began to mentally list the things about his close friend that irritated him the most.

“Yes, Molly it’s me. How good to see you my dear,”he smiled over at the matronly woman who had knitted him a jumper and a pair of socks for his last Christmas. It had been by far the most personal and normal gift anyone had given him, with the exception of Minerva. He had treasured finally getting something that was not bound in a book containing hundred year old parchment and covered by leather that could barely contain the ridiculously long title on the front of it. People seemed to forget that he was old enough to have purchased the first edition for many of the titles they gifted him with when the original publication had come out. Miss Granger had been overjoyed when he and Minerva had begun quietly regifting them to her anonymously. “I have been doing quite a bit of thinking during my little nap,”he said before reaching for the cherry that often served as a most convenient foot rest when he occupied this particular painting.

The Order members restlessly looked in the direction of his portrait. It was obvious that Severus was not the only one displeased with the headmaster’s approach to planning although they all relied on him to organize their battle plans. Dumbledore had after all, defeated Grindewald. Severus had not been born yet, however, his mother had told him many stories of the dark wizard’s reign during his childhood that had given the young boy nightmares before finally desensitizing him. When she had finally started sending Severus to his grandparents house over the summer in an attempt to keep his father from hurting him, their views of Grindewald as a great wizard had driven him to wonder what it would be like to have all of that power at one’s disposal. That while some wizards quaked with fear at the mention of his name others spoke it reverently, as if it were a prayer issuing from their lips. Regardless of what one thought of Grindewald, all held a healthy respect for what he was capable of.

“My plan involves Miss Granger and Severus Snape,”stated Dumbledore calmly. he looked around the room, a flicker of that damn twinkle in his eye apparent as he waited for the reaction his news would bring.

All hell broke lose. Mad Eye Moody knocked over his chair as he abruptly stood, his magical eye spinning wildly. “We’ve lost you and three of our best Aurors to that murderer and you want to send a little girl in to deal with him!”Mad Eye exclaimed. The majority of the time that Hermione had experienced difficulty in relating her ideas to the older adults, Moody had been responsible for the vast majority of the friction.

“You calm down this moment, Alastor Moody,”said McGonagall sternly. As stern as her tone was, she couldn’t help but glance at Dumbledore, who was now leaning on rather large and poorly rendered pear. She was just as worried as Snape about the Order’s willingness to accept him back into the fold. He had after all been the black sheep to start off with. Now that Albus was dead, Severus was playing an even more dangerous game and she was concerned about the repercussions to him and to Miss Granger.

Severus smirked as well as a spider could manage at that comment before hiding under the table as Mad Eyes magical eye came to a halt, staring at the prim dignified elderly woman whose hat he had moments before been sitting on. It wouldn’t do for the Order to find out he was here by those means. He liked to always keep as many doors of escape open as possible.

The deaths of the three Aurors had all been in self defense. As much as Snape was a Death Eater, he killed coldly and brutally only out of necessity. Self preservation ranked very high on his list of priorities. Immediately after fleeing the grounds of Hogwarts, he apparated to his home at Spinner’s End. The confused Draco trailed him, not understanding why he had brought him to an abandoned mill before having a small crumpled up piece of parchment thrust into his hand.

The residence of Severus Snape can be found at number 27 Spinner’s End.

Just then, the two heard three distinct pops. “Get in the house, now,”Snape had snarled at his charge before abruptly turning to meet the new arrivals. Slowly the three Aurors took up defensive stances as they began to move into a formation they had learned over twenty years ago when they had first begun dealing with the Dark Lord’s followers. Rapidly, Snape non verbally fired three full body binds, but the Auror nearest him had leapt out of the way at the last moment.

“Come along Snape, I believe you have got a date with a cell in Azkaban,” the remaining man had said coldly. Those were the last words that Auror Jenkinson ever uttered. In a flash of green, the man lay dead at Snape’s feet. As he renewed the body bind on one of the Aurors, the other one snapped free. Severus began to defend himself as the man uttered the words that Aurors were only permitted to use when in deathly peril, “Avada Ked-”the man began before being drowned out by the rapid killing curse fired by a trembling Draco Malfoy. The now dead Auror apparently had never been graced with one of Mad Eye Moody’s lectures on ‘constant vigilance’.

As he reflected, he was brought back to the moment by Mad Eye bellowing about the situation with Hermione, while Molly was vehemently huffing something about the girl breaking Ron’s heart. Wringing her hands she brought up almost everything negative that could be said about Miss Granger’s personality. Having always been the odd man out he felt a moment of sympathy for the bushy haired know it all that had plagued his classroom for six years.

“Severus, you can come out now,” Dumbledore stated looking at the table which he was most certain housed Snape’s current hiding place.

Severus scrambled up the back of Minerva’s robe and fixed the headmaster with a suspicious glare.

“Severus, when you’re finished scowling at me, by all means join us.”

Severus slowly transformed from a scowling spider into a scowling, gaunt man. “Thank you for meeting with us,”Dumbledore said merrily with a twinkle in his blue eyes. Ignoring the fact that Snape was obviously displeased, although for different reasons than he assumed, he continued the meeting.

Severus and Miss Granger were essentially being forced into a farce of a relationship. When he had been gentler in his treatment of the young woman it had been to serve his own purposes. Yet again, Dumbledore had taken the control of an aspect of his life out of his hands.

‘We’re at war,’ he reminded himself as he struggled with the feelings of resentment towards his former employer. Must every aspect of his life be manipulated by one of the men whom he was supposed to be serving? Would there ever be a reprieve? Would he ever have a chance to be in control of his own life for just one blessed moment? Now he had brought Miss Granger into a strangely similar position. As much as he loathed certain aspects of the young woman’s personality, he did not wish for her suffer the same loss of ownership of her life. Although he had taken advantage of her vulnerability to serve his own needs, it had at very least been through her own choice. Now he was being manipulated into yet another situation where he had to add yet another layer of duplicity to the lies that he had been forced to spin out of a fierce survival instinct. He regarded his mentor with a look of obvious disdain.

In front of him the portrait of Dumbledore had the nerve to ignore him and be so damn cheerful in his demands of cooperation from the Order members as he shared with them the same plan he had outlined to an audience of three earlier that week.
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The Spinner's Web of Deceit