The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 9 - A Slytherin Snake

After that night, Hermione had been trapped in total despondence. She hadn't talked to Remus at all, not even unemotional everyday chit-chat; and he hadn't pushed her to. He had not looked at her once either; not at meals, not in the common room, not in class - at least not that she had seen. He was completely avoiding her and this, she mused gloomily, was what she had basically asked him to do. So she should be happy, shouldn't she? Or, not surprised, at least. The most unfortunate matter was that because of her lack of association with Remus, she had also lost amity with James and Sirius. Lily was her only friend now and life was pretty much the pits.

Just when she thought not much else could possibly go wrong, something did. It was Hermione's last period of the week, double Potions held in the dungeons - her least favourite place in the castle and for good reason. It was dark, it was cold and it smelt like Snape. Ugh. She was relieved when class was over and she could go back to the dormitories to get ready for dinner. Plus, it was the weekend which meant she could spend as much time as she liked searching. She really had nothing better to do anymore and the sooner she left this time, the better. The students crowded out the door and she and Lily, who were the last out aside from Snape (who was lingering surreptitiously by his cauldron), were about to leave when Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Isabelle,' said a soft voice next to her ear. She turned around to find Snape standing there, looking at her with a glint in his eye.

'Yes, what do you want?' Hermione snapped, pulling away from him.

'We need to talk,' he demanded and she felt suddenly intimidated under his icy stare.

'Talk?' she repeated scathingly. 'What would we need to talk about?'

'Oh I think you'll find it best that you not argue,' he said with a twisted half-smile.

There was something going on, thought Hermione. She was sure of it. The triumphant look on Snape's face was very much like the look he often gave Harry, Ron and herself when he knew they had been up to no good. He had obviously not changed in the slightest over such a long period of time. This was all giving her an immense feeling of uneasiness.

She looked at Lily anxiously who returned her gaze and boldly said,

'She doesn't have to waste her time talking to you, Snape. Don't kid yourself.'

This remark left Snape looking unperturbed; in fact, he only smiled wider revealing a set of yellow, crooked teeth. He continued to stare unblinkingly at Hermione, who straightened up determinedly.

'I've been watching you lately,' he said in a sudden harsh voice, 'and I know what you're up to. I know where you're really from.'

Hermione felt Lily eye her enquiringly. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' she said to him while keeping her face impassive, ignoring her stomach's impulsive clench in alarm.

'Oh I think you do,' he replied, his eyes fixated coldly on hers.

'Isabelle, what is this?' asked Lily softly.

'Aha, so you haven't told your friends yet?' Snape arrogated.

Hermione wasn't sure if he actually knew or not; she didn't see how he possibly could, even if he had been following her. Unless ... unless he was prowling in the library that morning so long ago that she had spent going through Time Travel books. The little slime! She couldn't take the chance.

'Look Lily, I'll catch you up, OK?' she said, fraught to find out what this really was about.

'No Bel, I'm not leaving you alone with - '

'Just go, I'll be fine,' she whispered. Lily looked dubious. 'Please.'

The green-eyed girl nodded against her will and hesitantly backed out of the room, glaring at Snape for all it was worth. Hermione caught a mouthed be careful and Lily was gone.

She was now faced with Snape alone.

Could things be any worse? she asked herself. The answer came immediately. Two Snapes. Yes, that would be worse.

She'd thought too soon. Before Hermione could speak Snape had nimbly reached behind her and shut the door. With a resounding bolt she knew it was locked.

'What do you think you're doing?' she spluttered, quickly moving into the middle of the dungeon so that he would be unable to corner her.

'I just didn't want you running off anywhere this time,' he said, leering. Had he been watching her and Remus in the snow? The mere thought made her feel sick. She gave him a look of death, which didn't affect him in the slightest.

'Now,' he began, walking towards her slowly, 'like I said before, I've been watching you lately -'

'Spying on me, you mean,' Hermione spat, grasping her wand firmly inside her robes.

'Call it what you will,' he said coolly. He moved around her effortlessly and she didn't take an eye off him. 'Anyway, I've worked it out. I know you're from the future,' he finished simply.

Hermione felt as if a hand had served her a punch from the inside, although she badly hoped she didn't show it. She had always been exceptionally good at hiding emotion, keeping a cool head. It was just her way. She wasn't going give anything away yet; he might just be taking wild guesses.

Extremely wild guesses.

Hermione decided to take the condescending, you-belong-in-a-nuthouse type approach. 'I'm - I'm from where, excuse me?' She laughed offhandedly.

'A future time. I don't know how far forward, but far enough for you to be worried. And don't try to pretend you aren't,' he added as she gave him a patronizing look. 'I read the exact page of the book of Time you were reading due to a handy revealing charm on my part.'

'And what makes you think I wasn't going through it for research purposes only? I am studying the effects of time in space for my Astronomy N.E.W.T's, you know,' she asserted haughtily.

'Because if you were studying it for school then you wouldn't be so intent on finding what you lost so you can get back through that painting.' He smirked, knowing he'd hit the mark. Hermione's face crumpled - she couldn't retort to the raw, undeniable truth. Snape picked something out of his robes. It was a small flask with a cork for a stopper and it contained a clear liquid.

She gawped at him; he couldn't honestly expect her to drink any nasty little potion he had concocted, no matter what how clever he thought he was.

'Oh, why do you have to always be there constantly making my life that much more difficult, Snape?' she groaned, planning to run for the door the next time he turned his back. She could handle a simple unlocking spell with her eyes closed. 'Even when I go fucking time-travelling, you're there with your potions and your grease and your angsty hatred of the world.'

'I want you to tell me what happens in the future, everything you know,' he snarled, skipping to the point. 'And angsty isn't a word.'

'And what makes you think I'd tell you anything?' she snarled right back, knowing there was no more point trying to pretend anymore. 'And if I did? How would you know I wasn't lying?'

'That is precisely what this,' he came right up close to her and waved the potion in her face, 'is for.'

Suddenly whatever confidence or hope in getting out of the situation Hermione had vanished as recognition hit her like a ton of bricks. She had seen this potion in books before. It was both very illegal and very powerful, it was -

'Veritaserum,' she croaked, her eyes widening.

'That's right,' he said slickly. 'I see someone has been doing their homework.' Before she knew it, he had grabbed her wrists, causing her to drop her wand in alarm. She winced.

'Now,' he said through his teeth, his grip strong enough to overcome her mad struggling - she never would have expected Snape to be strong at all, 'you can give up and tell me now, or you can keep fighting. I'm just going to force feed this to you anyway.'

In all her despair, Hermione stopped struggling. Snape smiled greasily, though he didn't release his grip. 'Good, so you've come to your senses. I was wondering how long it would - argh!' He recoiled as he met the blow of the kick Hermione suddenly delivered him.

The flask of Veritaserum dropped to the stone floor with a small clang and shattered, the clear liquid oozing everywhere. Hermione wasted no time. While Snape got his breath back, she made a grab for her wand where it had fallen but her hand grasped air - it was gone.

She looked around frantically, where was it? The answer came immediately as Snape, now purple-faced with a vein pulsating on his neck, stood up straight and held up her wand.

'Don't even think about getting this back,' he growled with assent, gliding to the door, slipping out and slamming it shut.

Thinking fast, Hermione ran to it and tried to wrench it open before - too late. As soon as she reached it, she heard the clang of the bolt on the other side. She moaned in frustration and fell against the door, listening to the miserable echo of Snape's footsteps fading as she slid hopelessly to the cold stone floor.