Love And Revolution

VIII

It seemed like the night couldn't come any faster and when it finally did, Hermione and Snape got ready to go out. She gulped down her mandatory vial of polyjuice potion- with a different woman's hair this time- and tried to get comfortable in the new body while gearing up to venture out into the streets. She was a little surprised when he didn't take any himself but explained that they were going to meet an old acquaintance of his and that person was not going to trust just anyone with valuable information.

She hoped "this guy" would be able to tell them where they could find Abraham Townsend and he assured her that his guy was well connected and would definitely be of some use to them. He could tell them how to get in touch with Townsend, or find someone who will.

And so they sneaked out of the inn when most of the inmates were asleep or passed out drunk and they ducked into the shadows. They could have floo-ed or apparated but they weren't traveling far and Snape said it shouldn't be a problem since not many people chose to hang around Knockturn alley at night, definitely not decent people. There were still some dodgy-looking ones loitering about, but they kept to themselves or avoided eye contact with Snape if they happened to recognize him, in which case they simply scrammed.  

Hermione mostly followed behind him, due to the fact that she didn't know where she was going and she figured she couldn't have traversed the intricate network of streets in Knockturn alley even if she tried and she was glad he was leading the way. She could read a map- if only this place came with one- but Snape seemed to know the area like the back of his hand and took her down winding roads that couldn't possibly lead them anywhere. Every bend seemed like the one she just came along and every lamp-post seemed identically placed, however, Snape actually looked assured. Still, every now and then he would pause, making her heart beat all the more faster, and pricked up his ears to listen to quiet whispers in the dark, footsteps shuffling away, mewls of a stray or a gentle rev of the engine of a faraway vehicle and put one arm up indicating her to stay close and then continue when he would decide that they were in no immediate danger.

Hermione knew that they were finally close once the walls started converging in and there was only a single door at a dead-end of the road, where they were seemingly headed. As they stealthily neared it, she quit making a fist, wondering whether she should grab her wand or let it be, and finally took it out and poised it at the ready, not sure what was at the other side. Snape glanced over his shoulder once to look at her.

"You will kindly put away your wand, you are not rushing headfirst into battle," he drawled, not breaking his step or turning his head as he spoke. "I can sense your trepidation but surely even you know that if you act like an Auror while undercover it defeats the purpose of that cover. You don't know these people but I do- they certainly won't appreciate having a wand being poked at their faces. Don't be so jittery. There are far more dangerous places in this world than Knockturn Alley after dark, and you would do well to behave accordingly. You are a famous war hero- act like it."

The alley was silent and the only noise they heard was the echo of their footsteps against the buildings. Hermione wanted to point out he sounded ironic by saying that she was supposed to be undercover by acting like herself when she wasn't being herself at the moment. 

But she mumbled, "Old habits," before replacing her wand in her sleeve. 

"And let me do the talking," he said.

"So what am I supposed to be, your bodyguard?"

"No, my mistress for the night," he replied before knocking, leaving Hermione speechless and unable to get another word out before the door was answered. And she was even more surprised when she found that it was a goblin who opened the door- certainly not what she had expected.