Winter's Shadow

Chapter 24

Fire and Ice

Professor Dumbledore sat calmly at his desk watching his Potions Master pace back and forth in front of him.

"Severus, please sit. What is it that vexes you so?"

Snape stopped pacing and turned to face the headmaster. His eyes narrowed in confusion. It was not as if nothing was wrong now. A student was being kept at Pallidus manner and Dumbledore acted as if it were business as usual. Snape proceeded to tell Dumbledore what he experienced during his last class, but the headmaster did not seem concerned with this news. He only nodded his head smiling slightly.

"Why am I hearing Miss Granger's thoughts?"

Severus was quickly becoming irritated with the elder man's attitude toward the whole situation.

"Do calm down, Severus. The charm I placed on the pendants to allow you to now feel when Miss Granger is no longer wearing it also allows you to sense her and to feel and hear any intense emotions. I had to do something in case of an emergency and you were separated."

Snape crossed his arms and eyed the headmaster.

"A simple locating charm would have sufficed," he said dryly.

"To locate her only it would have."

Snape looked at Dumbledore sitting behind his desk with the look of one who is omniscient. What wasn't he telling Severus? Severus looked back to the fire and closed his eyes for a moment. Without warning, the memory of the one and only kiss they shared danced across his mind. Dumbledore's words broke his thoughts.

"Severus, is she safe at the moment?"

Severus nodded his head, maintaining his stoic expression.

"Tell me, Severus." Dumbledore leaned back slightly, looking up at the ceiling. "How do you know she is safe? Does that metal pendant you keep tightly hidden beneath your robes tell you Miss Granger is safe? Or, Severus, does your heart tell you?"

Dumbledore lowered his head to meet Severus' eyes. Severus sneered at the man.

"You are mad and I have duties."

Dumbledore sat at his desk watching Snape exit his office in a swish of black robes.

Severus left Dumbledore's office and marched straight to his dungeon chambers. Anyone who saw him coming steered cleared of his path and hid in various dark niches of the castle. He was a looming figure of terror walking through the corridors and no one wanted to be caught in his wrath.

After a good hour of pacing, Severus grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey and poured himself a goblet full. He swallowed it down like a mad alcoholic getting his fix after so long. He poured another. Emotions he could not discern filled Severus. Were they his or Hermione's? Or both? He became irritated with himself for not knowing and not truly understanding.

The helplessness didn't help either. He felt something should be done to get Hermione to safety, but it seemed nothing was being done. Taking a sip from the goblet, he settled himself on the sofa. He watched the flames and light from them dancing across the stone in his chambers. There had to be a way to get her out. In the midst of his thoughts, he noticed the flickering light of the flames change. Glancing at the flames, he saw the orange amber glowing fire changed to the turquoise and watched as someone tumbled out, falling to the ground at his feet as if they were thrown.

Snape looked down at the blond Slytherin lying at his feet. He stood up and reached down grabbing the boy by the collar of his robes, lifting him to his feet. Heading toward the door with the boy, he sneered from behind him, maintaining his tight grasp of the boy.

"Teaming with Potter on foolish rescue missions, Malfoy?"

Draco's feet were barely touching the ground as he saw Snape was heading him out of the dungeons toward the Headmaster's office.

"Please, Professor Snape! Someone had to try to save her!"

"So you thought you would join Potter in playing the hero? How very Gryffindor, Malfoy."

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Harry and Ron sat nervously in front of the fire in the Heads' common room. It was taking longer than it should. Harry, wanted to be the one to go, but Draco was insistent that he should go. They all agreed--Draco knew the manor better than any of them. Harry stood up and started to pace while Ron sat there rocking back and forth. Each was waiting for the flames of the fire to turn the well-known turquoise color and to see Hermione stumble out with Draco. It didn't happen though. Instead they heard the portrait swing open. Harry and Ron both stopped all movement when they saw who entered. Professor McGonagall entered, walking swiftly over to them. She did not look shocked to find them there.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley...come with me."

The boys exchanged nervously glances and followed their Head of House out into the corridors.

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"He called me a Gryffindor!" Draco was fuming. They were being punished for attempting what the Order already should be doing. Professor Dumbledore smiled at this statement from Draco. Harry and Ron looked at Draco in a bit of disbelief before starting to snicker.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy. It was a brave thing you did--willingly going into Pallidus Manor the way you did." Harry and Ron were still snickering. "Just as the cunning involved in planning such a rescue attempt is quite a Slytherin trait." He looked over at Harry and Ron who stopped laughing immediately. Professor Dumbledore looked back to Draco. "Were you unable to get to Miss Granger?"

"No, sir. I found her."

Everyone looked a little confused at his pronouncement. Snape looked at him through narrowed examining eyes. Dumbledore looked from Snape back to Draco.

"How is it that you came through the floo network in Professor Snape's chambers?"

"Hermione is in the Lily and Mahogany room at Pallidus Manor. The Dark Lord keeps it connected to the floo network for emergencies. She did not know this." Draco was becoming nervous being questioned by the Headmaster so much. He shifted his feet slightly and looked around.

"Mr. Malfoy, why did Miss Granger not return with you?"

Silence rung through the Headmaster's office. Even the portraits stopped whispering to each other about the events unfolding. Draco looked at Snape--he hated this man for the affection Hermione held for him. The man had no idea how lucky he was.

"She refused to come." There were several gasps heard in the room. "She said if she left they would find Professor Snape and kill him. She then threw the floo powder and me into the flames and she yelled out Professor Snape's name."

Severus thought his heart stopped beating at Draco's words. She had a way out and refused it. He thought she was suffering from nothing more than a school girl crush, but more and more it was looking like it was indeed more than that. Without a word to anyone, he swiftly turned and left the Headmaster's office. Professor Dumbledore watched him go and then turned to the boys.

"You are each sequestered to your respective common rooms until this is figured out. I will know if you do not comply."

"Yes, sir." The three of them said simultaneously. Slowly they left the Headmaster's office.

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Snape moved swiftly through the corridors to his chambers. His mind had always been focused on whatever task was at hand. Now, it was a whirl of thoughts--some his and some Hermione's. Part of him was screaming 'you stupid girl' for not taking the escape she had and another part whispered menacingly in his mind 'she's willing to die for you when no one else would.' The voices angered him and the thoughts enraged him further. There was a swirling overwhelming sensation and emotion he recognized as Hermione. He could almost see her standing there before him. Her voice sang out in his mind.

"How can you see into my eyes like open doors

Leading you down into my core

Where I've become so numb without a soul

My spirits sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and lead it back home..."

The moment he reached his chamber door he entered and locked himself in his rooms. Hearing her voice created a pounding in his chest he did not truly recognize. Sitting on his sofa, he looked at the fire dancing. She didn't want to be rescued, but would it hurt to check on her? Standing up he took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the fire hoping no one was in the room with her.

"Pallidus Manor Lily and Mahogany room!"

Snape's head danced in the flames. He could not see Hermione anywhere. A bookshelf next to the fire place blocked his view of the door, but he knew Hermione was there. He could hear her, hear her talking to Voldemort.

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Hermione stood in front of Voldemort unfazed by his threats. She started to laugh a bit.

"Do you think I care?"

"I would think you want to live." Voldemort peered down at the girl as if she were a disease.

"I was well aware that I signed my own death warrant when I traded my life for Snape's. I willingly gave up everything I love for the life of one--do you think I care if you kill me?"

Voldemort's eyes were nothing more than slits as he glared at the girl.

"You insolent stupid child!"

Hermione looked up at him with a smirk worth of Draco's.

"Stupid? I do not think so. You can't even kill Harry! I'm supposed to fear YOU?"

Snape's head danced in the fire in shock at the words coming from Hermione's mouth. She dared to speak to the Dark Lord in such a manner? And she was still alive. But then, he needed her didn't he?

"So, please oh mighty Voldemort!" Snape could see her hands were stretched out in exaggeration He heard a growing rumbling that worried him.

"Go ahead...kill me!" Her smirk grew as she leaned forward and up a bit to the Dark Lord and whispered, "if you can."

Snape was shocked when he saw sudden fire burst into her hand. She held the fire up a bit and out for Lord Voldemort to see. She watched it as if fascinated.

"Reminds me of an American poem."

Voldemort continued to glare at her. Snape's heart pounded--the girl was lucky to be alive. Hermione took his silence to her advantage and continued on.

"Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favour fire."

She held her hand out and the fire danced out of her hand, around the room, around Voldemort, and back to her hand.

"But if it had to perish twice,"

She held up her other hand and the world around them rumbled again. A ball of pure ice formed in her other hand.

"I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice."

She threw her hands up in the air releasing the fire and ice above them. They collided and destroyed each other in the air. Voldemort looked at Hermione with pure hate.

"Child, you WILL hand Potter over to me." He turned to the door and began to walk out.

"Only in your wettest dreams, Tom."

The door slammed shut. With a sigh, Hermione turned back toward her bed. Crawling up on the bed all she could think of was her escape into the dream world--her dreams were filled with memories and the life she should live. As she sat on the bed something caught her eye--turquoise flames. Looking up she had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming.

Professor Severus Snape was watching her from the flames.