The Burning Pen

A Looping of the Scales by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 4

All recognizable characters belong to JKR. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 4 ~ Further Insights

They reappeared on a cobbled street by a river in an almost defunct industrial mill town. The mill itself was closed, a tall thin chimney rising into the semi-darkness, seeming to hover like an old wraith over the area.

Hermione could smell the dirty river. Rubbish was strewn along the steep banks of it, the grass tall and uncut before culminating at a little tow-path. Little brick houses in were on the other side, extending back from the street. Old mill workers homes, it seemed.

”This way,” Snape hissed, walking quickly.

Hermione followed him for several blocks through linked alleyways and streets. The houses and the street lighting were in poor repair, but she could smell fish and chips, so there must be a shop nearby at least, which meant there were customers and the place wasn’t as deserted as it appeared.

At the end of a row, and separated from the rest of the houses, was Snape’s home. It was tiny but two-tiered. Snape walked up to the door which opened on the street.

”Wait. Be careful,” Hermione said to him. “This is your house, but—there could be protections. Nasty protections.”

”Check for me,” Snape hissed at her.

Hermione pulled out her wand and tested the door. She caught a bit of different magic, a slight signature. She turned her wand on Snape and checked his signature. It matched that coming off the door.

”I think you can enter,” Hermione said, then pointed her wand at the door. “Alohamora.”

Snape turned the knob and the door opened. Hermione could only imagine what terrible things could have happened if someone else had twisted that knob. Snape pushed the door open and stood blinking into the gloom before he entered, Hermione following. She lit the tip of her wand so they could see.

”There’s a candle lamp hanging there,” Snape said, pointing at it. The air smelled of leather and closeness.

Hermione used her wand to light the candle lamp and Snape looked about the tiny sitting room. There were so many books. They lined the walls and shelves even hung off the backs of the three doors that led to the outside, the kitchen and to the narrow staircase that led upstairs. A ragged sofa, armchair and table were grouped under the candle lamp.

”These books—what—where?”

”I think they’re yours. You have a huge collection at Hogwarts as well, or so I’ve heard. Your quarters are supposed to be stacked from top to bottom with books.”

Snape walked over to a shelf, looked at a title, then pulled out the book.

”My father has to be dead. He never would have allowed this,” he said softly. He began blinking rapidly, his eyes welling up.

”My mother would have loved this—these books. She loved books. She loved to—“

His voice broke and he put the book back, turning toward Hermione.

”What year is this?” he asked her.

“1999”

He blinked at her for a moment, then weakly lowered himself into the tattered armchair. Hermione tentatively sat across from him on the sofa, watching him as he placed his head in his hand.

After a few minutes, he looked at her.

”What’s your name?” he asked him, his face slightly contorted.

”Hermione Granger,” she answered softly.

”You know who I am, obviously. Did I travel back in time?”

Hermione shook her head.

”No, there was some kind of accident. I think it involved a potion that made you younger somehow.”

”How is it I was in Slughorn’s laboratory?”

”That wasn’t Slughorn’s laboratory. He teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts. That was your laboratory. You are—were the Potions master for Hogwarts. For many years.”

”A Potions master. Yes. That makes sense. I was probably adapting a potion. I did that a lot—everything can be improved. It was probably Shrinking Solution. I always thought they didn’t do enough with that—“

”Shrinking Solution is deadly to humans,” Hermione said suddenly.

Snape narrowed his eyes at her.

”I know that, but it probably wasn’t by the time I finished with it. It had to be that,” he snapped at her as if she didn’t know what she was talking about. “But, I made it work, didn’t I?”

Hermione nodded.

”But I didn’t think it would do this, taking away my memor—“

Snape stopped talking as he noticed something gleaming that was partially under some magazines on the table. He reached over and grabbed it, pulling it out. It was an Order of Merlin.

”What is this?” he asked Hermione.

”Your order of Merlin. You received it for the services you rendered. You were a spy for the Order of the Phoenix.”

”A what for who?”

”For the Order of the Phoenix. They were a group that fought against Lord Voldemort—“

”Lord who?”

”Lord Voldemort. Tom Riddle. That’s what he called himself.”

Snape frowned.

”I spied on Tom? Why would I do something like that?”

Hermione didn’t answer him and Snape drew his own conclusion.

”Lily,” he said softly, then covered his face again, shaking his head. Hermione could see wetness between his palm and skin. He suddenly looked up at Hermione.

”Tom. Is he dead?” he asked her, his voice thick.

”Yes. Harry killed him,” she replied.

”At least he avenged his mother,” the boy said heavily.

”He wouldn’t have been able to do it if not for you,” Hermione informed him. “You protected him without his knowledge the whole time he was at Hogwarts at a terrible price to yourself. You protected all of us as best you could, until you killed Dumbledore.”

“I WHAT?” Snape roared at her jumping up. “That CAN’T be true! How would I be at Hogwarts if I killed the Headmaster? I’d be dead or at least in Azkaban!”

”He was dying and sacrificed himself to save Draco Malfoy and to make you seem loyal to Voldemort, I think,” she said. “He was very sick. You couldn’t cure him. It took great courage for you to do that. Everyone branded you a traitor and you were hunted for the longest. But you were still Dumbledore’s man—“

”This—this is insanity! This is too much! Spying! Murdering people! Lily—Lily dead! Do you really expect me to believe this?”

“I can show you proof—proof of everything if you come back with me to Hogwarts,” Hermione told him softly. “You’re in the history books and newspapers. You can find out about your life that way, fill in some of the missing pieces.”

”Hogwarts is no longer my Hogwarts. My school evaporated with my memories. There’s nothing for me there,” he said. “You’d better go back. I’ll stay here.”

”And do what? Stay here and do what?”

”What I do doesn’t concern you! Just because you took me a few places doesn’t mean you can order me around! Get out! Leave me! I don’t need you!”

Snape had a wild look in his eyes now as he snarled at Hermione.

”But—your wand. Don’t you want your wand at least?”

Snape’s snarl disappeared.

”Your wand is probably in the Potions lab.”

Snape looked thoughtful.

”I had thought James took it. Him and his—wait. What happened to Sirius Black?”

”He’s dead.”

”Remus Lupin?”

”Dead.”

”Peter Pettigrew?”

”Also dead.”

Snape’s lip quirked.

”Even though Lily’s gone,” he said softly, his dark eyes glittering maliciously, “it’s a much better world without those bloody marauders in it. I’m glad they’re dead. Every one of them. Especially Black.”

Hermione didn’t say anything. Snape’s statement was a terrible thing to say, but knowing his history, she understood it.

”Yes, I do want my wand,” Snape told her. “I’ll go back to the castle, but I will have to return here. Slytherin house isn’t my home any longer.”

”You could stay in your teacher’s quarters. That’s still yours. You haven’t been dismissed yet,” Hermione said softly.

”Teacher’s quarters?”

”Yes.”

”I don’t know. I just want my wand,” he replied. “Come on.”

He exited the house and Hermione followed. She checked it again. Yes, she could feel the signature. The magic was still there. Snape held out his arm, frowning at her.

She took it, and Disapparated back to Hogwarts.

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”Where are they, Harry? They’ve been gone for hours!” Ron seethed, walking back and forth as they waited in the entrance hall for Hermione to return.

”I don’t know, Ron, but I’m sure they’re fine,” Harry said, trying to placate him.

”I don’t care if ‘they’re’ fine. I just hope Hermione is all right. Snape was crazy when he left here. Stark raving nutters, Harry. He could have done anything to Hermione!”

”Hermione knows how to take care of herself, Ron. There must have been some reason she Disapparated with him,” Harry said.

Ginny sat quietly on the last step of the marble staircase, watching Ron fume. It had to be hard to deal with his girlfriend running off with another wizard.

”She just ignored me and took off with him, Harry. What am I supposed to think?” he asked his friend, who adjusted his glasses and frowned back at him.

”You’re supposed to think she’s helping him in some way, Ron. That’s what,” Harry said darkly.

”Helping him. Phhhft. That’s not her place. Snape’s not her concern. She should have left it to McGonagall. He’s her staff member.”

Headmistress McGonagall gave them special permission to wait to see if Hermione and Snape returned. It was now after curfew, which was why Ron was so upset. They were to report to her immediately if and when they returned.

”You know how soft-hearted Hermione is, Ron,” Harry said. “That she’d try and help Snape isn’t really a surprise is it?”

”That soft heart is supposed to be for me, not him,” Ron said unreasonably.

“Come on, Ron. Imagine if you were Snape and found out the person you loved was dead? That the entire world just changed around you and nothing was like you remember. How would you feel?”

”I don’t know how I’d feel, Harry. But I don’t like Hermione running off with him like that!”

Suddenly the door opened, and in walked Hermione, followed by Snape. Harry froze as Ron charged forward.

”Hermione! Where did you go? Why didn’t you stop when I called you?”

He looked at Snape with dislike. Snape returned the favor, then said, “I’m going to the Potions lab” and proceeded to billow past Ron, then Harry, who he gave half a glance, then began to descend the dungeon stairs.

”Wait,” Hermione called after him.

Snape stopped and turned, looking at her.

”I’ll go with you,” she said.

”No! You won’t go with him. We have to tell the Headmistress you’re both back and I’m sure she’s going to want to talk to you,” Ron said, catching Hermione’s arm as she tried to walk toward the dungeons.

”You let me go this instant, Ronald Weasley, and stop acting like a caveman,” she hissed at him.

Snape disappeared down the stairwell. He didn’t have the time or inclination to deal with this.

Hermione looked over and saw he was gone.

”Now he’s gone, Ron,” she snapped, pulling her arm away from him.

”He’s not gone. He’s going to the Potions lab,” Ron retorted. “He doesn’t need you to walk him there. He knows where it is. Now, where did you go with him? What did you do?”

Hermione glowered at Ron, then said, “That’s none of your business.”

”What? It is my business. You’re my girlfriend. I care about what you do with other wizards.”

Hermione’s eyes narrowed.

”Do you? Fine. I gave him a pity shag. Are you satisfied?”

Both Harry’s and Ginny’s mouths fell open as Hermione stalked away from Ron and up the marble stairwell.

”I’m going to tell the Headmistress we’re back,” she announced, then disappeared down the first floor corridor.

Flabbergasted, Ron just watched her go. She reappeared on the second floor landing and caught a shifting stairwell.

”She didn’t mean that, Ron. She was just mad you were giving her the third degree. You did sound like you were accusing her of something,” Harry said to him as he watched her catch another set of stairs, growing smaller as she ascended.

“Yeah, Ron. She just said that,” Ginny said to her brother. “Hermione would never do that, and you know it.”

”I know she hasn’t done it with me lately,” Ron said in a low voice, scowling.

“She hasn’t done it with Snape at all. Let’s just go back to Gryffindor tower and get some sleep. Hermione’s back and Snape’s fine for now. We’ll find out where they went after she cools off,” Harry assured Ron.

“Well, she didn’t have to say that,” Ron complained as they all slowly walked up the stairs. “The very idea of her shagging Snape at any age gives me the creeping fugwugs, pity or not.”

They walked up the stairs, Harry looking over the railing for a moment toward the dungeon entrance. He wondered what Snape was doing down there.

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A/N: Thanks for reading.

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