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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
- 78-78
- 79-79
- 80-80
- 81-81
- 82-82
- 83-83
- 84-84
- 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
- 76
- 77
- 78
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

(memory cont.)
Snape's eyes glistened dangerously at her words and manner, but he only smiled with fake courtesy and gestured for her to walk in front of him.
Looking at him suspiciously for a moment, Hermione stuck her nose up in the air and sauntered slowly down the hall. Snape's mouth tightened at her display, but said nothing, except to direct her to the door at the end.
The real Hermione followed them both through to the headmaster's office. Just what is going on here? Hermione of the memory took no time in marching straight over to Dumbledore's painting and called his name. It was sleeping, or at least pretending to be, but roused itself to greet her.
"Ah, Miss Granger, how lovely to see you. Tell me," he whispered, flicking his eyes quickly over her head at Snape who was glowering at them from across the room. "How is everything with Harry? Have you had any success?"
Hermione looked blank for a minute, then shaking her head and looking worried she murmured, "I don't know. I can't remember anything that has happened since the end of last year." She clapped her hands over her mouth and let out an almost hysterical giggle. "Why can't I remember? She turned suddenly on Snape. "What's wrong with me? Did you do something? Did something happen to Harry?" Her voice had steadily got louder and she was now almost screaming at him.
"Granger," he drawled wryly. "Why don't you give me a chance to show you instead of throwing a tantrum? I can explain everything if you let me."
Ignoring the dig at her behaviour, Hermione looked back up to Dumbledore. "Professor," she pleaded. "I don't know if I…"
"My dear, I think you need to give Severus the benefit of the doubt and let him show you. But please, for now, keep anything you learn concerning the whereabouts and doings of Mr Potter to yourself. If you wish, we can discuss anything you may want to know in private later. As skilled as Severus is at Occlumency, there are certain things we just cannot risk Tom learning when he searches Severus' mind."
Hermione looked questioningly at Snape, as if to ask what Dumbledore had meant by his cryptic request, but he did not elaborate. Looking back at Dumbledore one last time as he gave her a slight wink, she finally nodded her assent.
"This way Granger." Snape opened a cupboard and pulled out a pensieve. Hermione gave it a thoughtful nod, realising what was about to happen.
Snape stalked across the room to Dumbledore's painting, pulling at one corner carefully. It swung open on a hinge, revealing a small hole, out of which Snape pulled several small glass bottles. Walking back towards the pensieve and Hermione, he began to explain:
"There are a number of memories to get through, this may take a little time and I expect you will find it quite draining. These memories come from both you and myself… Miss Granger, I ask you to promise never to reveal what I have to show you of my own history to anyone no matter what may happen, not even Potter, without my express permission. Besides it being extremely personal…" Here he stopped and glared at Dumbledore, who shrugged and pulled a lemon drop out of his pocket and began to suck on it. "… There are things Albus believes Potter must not know until the correct moment. He has somehow… managed to make me promise to follow his wishes in this." He muttered softly under his breath. "Irritating old windbag…" Hermione put her hand over her mouth, glancing quickly at the painting. Dumbledore just beamed at the two of them.
"Miss Granger, I need to you promise. This is apparently of the utmost importance, despite the fact the old idiot doesn't think it important enough to tell me why," he muttered the last quietly. Again the memory Hermione quickly hid a smile, but the real one giggled at Snape's words.
"Granger…?" he growled.
The Hermione from the memory looked momentarily unsure, but eventually nodded and said, "I promise."
Snape also looked a little anxious, and he hesitantly pulled out one bottle from the collection and tipped it into the pensieve. As Hermione moved to lower her face into it, Snape caught her by the shoulder. "Gran… Miss Granger," he spoke heavily. "You are about to see certain things from my past that no-one but Albus knows. Many of the do not show me in the best light. I hope…"
"Severus, Miss Granger is more than capable of seeing past the things you once did to the man you are today. Have faith in her, as well as yourself for once."
Snape didn't seem convinced, but he clamped his mouth shut and said no more as Hermione sunk her head into the glistening pool and disappeared. Snape immediately turned and walked over to his desk, grumbling again under his breath.
"Now, now Severus. Is it really that bad that someone else might understand what you go through on a daily basis, what you have done for years to help keep our world safe?"
"I never wanted to do this, as you know perfectly well," Snape said waspishly. "And what do you suggest we do about her? We both know what will happen if she stays here. The Dark Lord will insist that she accompany me when I go to him, and he will wish to view her humiliation and torture through her own eyes. She is no Legilimens. I would have to wipe her mind again and do unspeakable things to her or he will not be convinced. I have no desire to do it, Albus. There must be another way, preferably one that doesn't end in my own demise for having let her go free." He sat down and held his head in his hands, looking so utterly miserable that Hermione felt horribly sorry for him.
What am I seeing in that memory? she wondered. What could possibly be worth this much concern on Snape's part?
They waited 10 minutes in which the real Hermione had wandered around the room, looking closely at things she had never had the chance to examine before, especially the paintings of the old headmasters and headmistresses, all of who were only pretending to be asleep, except for Dumbledore, who she was sure gave her a quick wink as she passed. Snape had barely moved, except to mutter darkly to himself about the stupidity of people who took the advice of batty old men.
Eventually Hermione saw herself re-forming out of the pensive, looking stunned. "Merlin's beard," she almost wept. "That was…"
Snape stood up and strode across to her, holding her by both shoulders this time. "I think we should move on quickly to…"
Then Hermione did something her real self could never had believed possible. She gently put her hands on Snape's chest and looked up into his eyes with sadness. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "You did that all for Harry, for her, and we've been so horrible to you."
Snape stood transfixed by her for a second before he shook her off and took a step back. "I don't need your pity, Miss Granger. Or your understanding. I made many terrible mistakes and now I pay for them. That is all. It is enough that you use your new-found knowledge to trust me to help you."
Hermione opened her mouth, obviously wanting to say more. The sudden glare from Snape made her close it again quickly. She then stomped up to the painting of Dumbledore and stood before him with a cross look on her face. "Professor, I think I can understand why, but I can't pretend that it wasn't an utterly unforgivable thing to ask of someone. I can't imagine the pain if either Harry or Ron had asked me to do that to them. I'm not sure I could have done it, not for any reason."
The real Hermione gasped, unable to believe or understand her own words. Dumbledore looked down kindly at Hermione from the memory, but the usual twinkle in his eyes was absent. "I won't disagree with you, Miss Granger. It was unforgivable, but it was necessary."
What in Merlin's name was in that memory? She needed to see to be able to understand fully what had just happened. Hopefully Snape had kept that memory, or perhaps she would see it when she replaced her own memories in her head.
"So that means…." She trailed off, chewing her lip while she thought. She shook her head. "OK, I think I'm ready for the next memory," she said suddenly. The painting of Dumbledore smiled at her as she approached the pensieve again, a knowing look on his face.
Snape used his wand to retrieve the first memory and place it back in its bottle, and then opened a second and poured it in. "This is mine again, this time recalling the events of your capture last night." Hermione nodded absentmindedly, and soon she had disappeared into the depths of the pensieve again.
"I'm glad you finally have someone else who understands, Severus. I know it hasn't been easy the past few years, being able to only show your true face to a… a batty old man, I believe is the phrase you like to use."
"I want no-one's pity, least of all that of an insufferable know-it-all who was foolish enough to get herself into a position where she is likely to get one, or both of us killed. If I had wanted sympathy I would have asked for it long ago."
"I am afraid that you will not be able to allow her to leave here Severus. Even if the two of you somehow manage to make her leaving look like a fortuitous escape, Tom will be extremely displeased with you." The memory suddenly started to fade around Hermione, and she strained to hear the last words as she was pulled out. "You know full well what he will do to you, and if..."
***end memory***
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Memories of Deception