This Present Darkness

Chapter Three

"All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him."

Job 20:26

"Who hath sent out the wild [horse] free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild [horse]?"

Job 39:5

Snape knocked on Hermione's door but there was no answer. "Miss Granger, may I come in?" he asked, his voice cold. No reply. "Miss Granger!" No reply. "I'm going to have to come in, so you've been warned," he finally said and undid the locking charm on the door. Being a Death Eater had its advantages sometimes.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a small object he didn't recognize. "Miss Granger, why didn't you open the door?" he began when he noticed she was shaking, pink in the cheeks and breathing strangely. "What is it?" he said harshly.

She looked at him with an unusual fright in her large, dark eyes. "Asthma," she panted. Her hands shook horribly.

Snape went a shade paler. "You're going to Nurse Pomfrey," he ordered.

"It's... okay. Took... inhaler," she held up the strange object. "Needs... time to work."

Snape paced up and down the room. "What brought this on?" he snapped.

She frowned. "Usually exercise or stress... Must... be stress," she smiled weakly.

"How often does this happen?" he asked, his frown getting darker when her shaking did not decrease.

She couldn't answer straight away. "Not often... Hardly... ever."

"How long ago did you take that?" he asked, pointing to the inhaler.

"Half an hour," she replied, her fear increasing.

"Take more," he commanded, in clipped tones.

She looked at him helplessly but did as he said. He sat in a chair in the corner of the room and watched her closely as through she was a lab rat or an experiment. Her shaking got worse and her face pinker after the second dose. Snape's hands clenched as he watched with narrowed eyes. After 15 minutes or so, she was shaking less and the panting had nearly gone. "I feel like crap." Hermione declared at last. So did Snape. "Why did you come here?" she asked him.

"Er... Dumbledore told me to," Snape said awkwardly.

"Why?" she asked bluntly.

"Ummm... to find out if you were okay," Snape replied, fiddling with his cloak. Hermione stared with fascination of the beautiful, strong, slender hands. Apart from the fact they were blue white, they were exquisite hands for a man. She had often caught herself staring at them in class over the years.

"Obviously not," she said ironically, tearing her gaze away. Her hands still trembled slightly as she put her inhaler on the bedside table. Snape observed this, displeased at her condition.

"What's bothering you?" he asked coolly. It wasn't a tone that inspired confidences.

"Well, let's see. My parents are dead, I have a guardian who hates me and now the whole school things I'm f*cking aforesaid guardian," Hermione said sharply.

Snape's head snapped up and he stared at her with glittering, black, unreadable eyes. She stared right back, trying to control her body's slight trembling from the asthma. "What makes you think that?" Snape murmured, sounding more dangerous then when he hissed.

"Well, I know my parents are dead because Dumbledore told me so. I know you hate me because you've never made any secret of the fact. I know the school thinks I'm f*cking you because my friends told me as such," she replied sarcastically.

"Will you stop saying that word?" Snape snarled suddenly.

"No! F*ck, f*ck, f*ck!" Hermione yelled, her eyes narrowed.

"You have the mouth of a gutter snipe!" he said with icy disdain.

"Oh, not a Death Eater's whore?" she challenged, eyes gleaming. The gloves were off with a vengeance now, she thought.

Two spots of red appeared in Snape's cheekbones. "How dare you!" he whispered, getting up suddenly and stalking over to loom ominously over her.

"Oh no! That tactic is not going to work anymore." Hermione bit out, and got up and stood on the bed glaring down at him. "No more looming over me!"

"Miss Granger, get down!" he commanded furiously.

"Make me, why don't you?" she said flippantly. "I'm not your student anymore."

"No but you are my ward. Now, as I told you - get down!" he said through clenched teeth.

"Nope. You just don't like people standing over you for once," she taunted. He turned around infuriated and Hermione hopped down expecting him to go back to his seat but he didn't, he turned around again only to find himself almost standing on top of her. As Hermione was small - not much more than 5'3", the top of her head only reached Snape's chest. He expected her to step away from him but she didn't, if anything she leaned closer and glared up at him ferociously. The very fact that she wasn't trying to get away from him stunned him so that he stood very still staring down at her, quite paralysed. Why wasn't she repulsed by him, he wondered dimly? The shock must have showed on his face because her face cleared and she asked, "what's wrong?"

He clenched his hands and said condescendingly, "nothing. I'm glad you've had the sense to get down. You shouldn't be doing that so soon after an asthma attack." He stalked back to his seat and sat down, glowering darkly at her and glad his cloak covered up his body's shameful reaction to her physical proximity. He crossed his long legs deliberately. "Now," he began stiffly, "the rumours around the school are rubbish as we both know. You'll be leaving in a few days. Don't worry about it."

She nodded, sitting down on the bed cross-legged and putting her small, sharp chin in one hand. She looked dejected. He never remembered seeing her look dejected before. She always looked confident - precociously so. Annoyingly so. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had the ridiculous urge to comfort her suddenly but didn't dare go over and sit near her. Especially not on a bed.

"Was that it?" she asked dully.

"Er... yes. I think so," he replied, fiddling with his gown again. She nodded again, not looking at him. He realized that he was being dismissed. "Do you need anything, Miss Granger?" he asked coldly, not moving.

She frowned for a moment as she thought. "No. I don't think so," she said flatly.

He got up. "Fine. I'll be on my way. Good night, Miss Granger," he said, with a nod.

How did he manage to make my name sound like an insult, she wondered? She didn't bother replying. She heard the door click as he went out.

"And as for my hating you Miss Granger, of course I don't. I never have," Hermione said sarcastically to the empty room.

* * *

Snape hurried back to his private dungeon rooms, his face hot. Had that girl just provoked an unmistakable sexual response in him? Why now, after so long? Why her, of all women? He cursed roundly under his breath. How the hell was he going to get through the next few months?

He stalked through to his private bathroom, stripped off and sank into the hot water in his obsidian tub. He scrubbed himself with some scentless soap and reflected that maybe an ice cold bath would have been more effective right at that moment. He groaned and sank under the water to wet his hair which he proceeded to scour with a shampoo that smelled of incense.

He sat there a long time, hoping his physically present problem would go away. It didn't. He sighed and got out, drying himself with a drying charm. He examined his body. It wasn't much really. Tall and lanky with lean muscles and not an ounce of fat. His bones were too prominent, even in his face. He had a small amount of fine, dark hair on his chest, and lower arms and legs but otherwise was quite smooth skinned and pale. Very pale. His skin was the unhealthy blue white of skimmed milk except for his face which had a sallow tinge.

Hurriedly he pulled on his black cotton pajama bottoms and went to find his bed. Tonight, he was going to be smart. He took a sleeping potion.

* * *

It didn't take Hermione long to find out her animagus form once she put her mind to it. Once she was over the worst of the shock from her parent's death she remembered that she still hadn't reported back to Snape on her animagus form, and knowing him he'd fail her on that alone regardless of the fact that her parents had died in the interim and she was now his ward. "Greasy bastard," she muttered as she headed down to the restricted section of the library one night, having borrowed Harry's cloak.

She was lucky and found a helpful book almost at once. Strange Beasts and Their Habits gave her clues for new patterns to look for. This led her to another book, Unusual Animagus that expanded on the new knowledge she was gaining. Mysterious Potions and Their Properties showed her a far greater range of reactions to the potion than they had in their set books. Slowly the pieces came together. She figured out early on that it was a magical creature by the delicate fluctuations in colour in the pattern. She learnt it was a dark creature from Unusual Animagus. It was obviously a rare creature because of the uncommonness of the pattern's shape and texture. Finally around 3pm, she had it.

She spent the next 3 hours researching the creatures but there was precious little written about their natures or habits. She found herself frustrated and exhausted by dawn. She looked up one more book, hastily scribbled down something on a parchment and went back to her room.

Later that morning and still using the cloak, Hermione left Hogwarts grounds and went into Hogsmeade. From a fireplace in the Three Broomsticks she used floo powder to go to Knockturn Alley. She knew full well that if she used floo in Hogwarts itself, the knowledge would get to Dumbledore and she would be in trouble.

She kept her cloak on until she came to the store she wanted. Fortunately it was on the main thoroughfare and easy to find. Once inside, she handed a list of ingredients to the hag behind the counter. The hag looked at her suspiciously but quickly assembled the items for Hermione. None of them were illegal but some were hard to come by. Knockturn Alley was one place you could be guaranteed to get almost anything immediately.

She paid for her purchases and pulled on her cloak again once outside. Quickly she made her way to the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley to take herself back to Hogsmeade via Floo. It had been surprisingly easy.

* * *

In Snape's dungeon rooms, a black owl landed on Snape's bench. Snape untied the message. It was from one of his informers. What the hell had Hermione been doing in Knockturn Alley purchasing materials? None of Hogwarts students should be there, let alone his grieving ward. Snape frowned darkly. She was acting suspiciously but he didn't want to cause her any trouble by telling Dumbledore. After all, she had done nothing but purchase a few ingredients and none of them illegal from the report. Unfortunately the particular ingredients she'd bought, whilst unusual in themselves - could be put to use in any number of potions so he was unable to guess her intent from the list the owl had brought him.

He put the parchment to one side and went back to his potion. He'd just have to keep an eye on her.

* * *

Late that night Hermione set up her cauldron in the one place she knew she couldn't be disturbed, her bathroom. She conjured a fire and pulled out her ingredients. She had prepared them earlier in the day using her personal instruments that her parents had given her in a set years ago.

Hermione felt ready to burst out of her skin. If she could transform into her animagus, she could run free in the Dark Forest for the night. Nothing sounded more wonderful than being something else for a while. Besides, she was curious and wanted to see if she could do it.

Carefully she brewed the potion. It turned black, red and gold in streaks. She frowned. That was curious. She carefully bottled it in a flask and slipped on a black cloak. She slunk through the school grounds in the shadows, avoiding the noise and light coming from the inhabited areas. Once inside the perimeters of the forest, Hermione quickly drank the potion and concentrated on every transformation skill she had.

It was a strange experience because she expected to feel something physical but she never did. All of a sudden she felt strong, and wanted to run and run. It took her awhile to realize she was running on all fours faster than she ever could have run in human form. She could jump so high and so far it was almost like flying. Her muscles rejoiced in their own power. She felt better than she ever had in her life. Her eyesight was keener and her sense of smell more sensitive. The forest sped by her as she ran and she only got fleeting impressions. Shadows of huge ancient trees; the smell of running water; deep shadows cloaked by fog; distant fires of forest dwelling creatures showing like vague spots of brightness against a deep velvet sky, her own hooves thudding on the moss and leaf strewn forest floor. It was a foretaste of heaven.

Eventually she stopped in a clearing. She had no idea where she was nor did she care. She pawed the ground and lifted her head to smell the cold, night air.

She caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of one eye. She swung her head around to see a black shape with a pale face. Snape? What was he doing in the Dark Forest close to midnight? She felt no fear; as a beast, the concerns of a schoolgirl where as far away from her as the earth from the sun. They regarded each other silently - the pale man obviously apprehensive and the beast completely calm.

Snape had come into the forest to gather toadstools from fairy rings for a new potion he was developing. He was familiar with the Dark Forest and its inhabitants knew him well. They left him alone, recognizing a soul already tormented beyond their means and not at all afraid of death having little to live for.

Snape honestly felt as though he couldn't trust the evidence of his own eyes. To see a black unicorn was so extremely rare that these creatures where considered more myth and legend than fact. Very few people in history ever saw these creatures and there was little reliable information about them. He examined it carefully. It was no larger than a racehorse and just as gracile. Its coat was blue black and picked up the sheen of the moonlight. Its horn shone gold, and its eyes were a fiery molten mixture of gold and red. Unlike the white unicorn, its expression was not innocent but rather poignant, zealous, potent and untamed at the same time.

Why wasn't it running away from him too, he wondered? Unicorns couldn't bear anything that was not pure and any human being less pure than himself Snape couldn't imagine. The unicorn just stood there looking at him with an expression that seemed familiar although alien too. He felt paralysed by its stare and warmed by it too, like that time that Hermione had been staring at him in class. Hermione... Snape had a sudden leap of logic and came up with the right answer. Pieces suddenly fell into place - Hermione's strange animagus pattern, her visit to Knockturn Alley that day, the unicorn not running away, the eerie feeling of familiarity in the beast's gaze. He knew he was looking at his ward although one part of him could hardly believe it possible.

"Hermione?" he said softly, his unusually deep voice rasping in the cold night air. A fire lit in the creature's eyes at the sound of his voice. It startled and pawed the ground again. "Hermione, if that's you please transform back," he continued softly and cautiously. The animal reared and took off. "Damn it!" Snape cursed, furiously.

Hermione ran and ran and ran. She didn't want to hear her human name or a voice connected with her human life. Tonight she was free and would run.

* * *

Snape went straight back to the school and Hermione's room determined to find out if he was right. He knocked on her door. "Hermione, if you're in there please open the door." No response. He tried again, still no response. "Hermione, I'm coming in." He cautiously opened the door after undoing the locking charm she had put on it. He really did not want to see her stark naked or snogging some other 7^th year, or worse - both at the same time. The room was empty. He did a quick location spell over Hogwarts. She was definitely no-where on the grounds or in the castle. He sat down slowly on her bed. Was it possible? Had she really become a unicorn? Had she learnt to do it so quickly?

He cautiously entered her bathroom after knocking several times. Empty again except for the cauldron and equipment. He looked at the parchment then snatched it up. The potion to allow transformation to an animagus the first time! That confirmed it to Snape. He did a location spell over the Dark Forest. He got something only faintly of Hermione which only confirmed her current status in animal form. Snape started cursing slowly and methodically as he made his way to Dumbledore's office.

* * *

"A black unicorn, you say?" the old wizard asked curiously.

Snape paced before the fire. "I'm almost positive," he confirmed and outlined the evidence to the Head Master.

"A magical creature is rare but a black unicorn... They are only seen maybe once in a few hundred years," Dumbledore shrugged.

"What does it mean?" Snape demanded, his voice a hiss.

"Well, your animagus is a raven. We know they are magical creatures too although few suspect it. It looks like you and Miss Granger have something in common," Dumbledore observed. Dumbledore could see Snape didn't like that. "Black unicorns are odd creatures. Seen so seldom they are treated as myth. They are unicorns that have been tainted by exposure to evil as foals. They are cursed creatures of a sort, often seeking out evil - not to join with it but to absorb it into itself in an effort to heal it," Dumbledore explained.

"Is that linked with Hermione's destiny in some way?" Snape asked, subdued.

"It could be," Dumbledore replied. Snape had his back to him and didn't see the speculative look in the white-haired wizard's eyes as he examined the Potions Master.

"So, we do nothing but wait and watch?" Snape asked quietly.

"Exactly," Dumbledore replied. "You know, their gift for absorbing evil into themselves could be immensely useful for any fight against a great foe," he continued mildly.

Snape whirled around and looked at his Head Master with narrowed eyes under furrowed brows. "What do you mean?" he demanded harshly.

"If a black unicorn can and does absorb evil into itself, she could be a significant weapon against Voldemort. Of course, it is at great personal cost to the unicorn itself" Dumbledore observed thoughtfully.

Snape's frown grew darker. "Then she can't be exposed to Voldemort in any form. Her very nature in her animagus form would pose a huge threat to her well-being. As her guardian, I won't allow it!" He added roughly, black eyes blazing.

"Yes, yes Severus. No one would expect that of the child," Dumbledore said comfortingly. Snape relaxed slightly. "You realize that if she discovers the secret of her own nature she may choose to make that sacrifice for the sake of those that she loves and once she is no longer your ward, you could not prevent it," Dumbledore added warningly.

Snape looked away, tension written on every line of his body. "Perhaps not but I could do my damnest to talk her out of it," he growled, still pacing.

"You would do it, Severus. I know you would," Dumbledore said pointedly.

"I don't have as much to lose as Hermione. She's still a child with her whole life ahead of her and many friends who love her. She may out-live the war and she may have the opportunity to have a family of her own one day. She shouldn't sacrifice that when there are other ways of fighting Voldemort and others better suited to laying down their lives for the cause," Snape argued vehemently.

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled at Snape's back. He had no intention of allowing Hermione to sacrifice herself in any way in the fight against Voldemort, especially when she was still so young. Still, it was interesting to observe his Potions Master ardently fighting for a student that he had professed such dislike for only a few days ago. This kind of responsibility was proving very good for Severus Snape.

"I quite agree, Severus," Dumbledore said crisply. Snape's black eyes examined the Head Master intently and he calmed down when he realized that Dumbledore meant what he said. "Now Severus, how about some nice brandy before you head back to your room?" Snape demurred and stalked back down to his rooms, his face intense with a worry he had never had before - the personal responsibility for a young woman.