Amour

CONSOLATION

Hermione stumbled her way back to the castle,her mind travelling at high speed.Black, friends with my parents?Lupin also knew them,then how come he never mentioned this before?Pettigrew...I'm oddly familiar with the name..yes,I've seen it on the Marauders map...but he's dead.He tried to avenge my parents and Black killed him.And that murderer is...my Godfather!........................................
Snape walked quickly down the corridor.As soon as he had returned to the castle,ahead of the others,he had heard some scurrying noises from inside a hollow wall and went to check it out.Could it be...?He remembered about the times he had seen his seniors,Lupin,Black and Pettigrew,sneaking out of the castle through a secret passageway and knew very well where the entrance was.As he arrived at the place and caught Hermione coming out of it he was shocked.Hermione and rule-breaking?She looked mildly scared when he gave her a stern look,as if she was worlds away."Well well,Ms.Granger.Follow me."he said,going back to using her surname because he was angry with her.They went to his office and closing the door,he started shouting at her."What do you think you were doing Ms.Granger?I must say I'm absolutely disgusted with you.Everyone,from the minister of magic downwards have been trying to keep you alive and you disregard all precautions and stealthily go out of the castle,alone,with a killer on the lose!And I thought you were the cleverest witch of your age."In between, Hermione was mumbling something incoherent of which Snape only caught snippets."What?"he asked,scowling."He was their friend....and he betrayed them....they died....Pettigrew died...all those poor people...All for me....He is the reason they're dead."Hermione mumbled tearfully.Then it hit him.She knows!She heard us at the pub.She was there.Whatever anger he felt completely dissolved and he lowered his voice several octaves."Hermione...""And that murdering arse is...my godfather?"Hermione asked,her whole body trembling noticeably.Snape took her hand,placed his hand at the small of her back and led her to the sofa where he seated her.Then he went to his cabinet and brought out a calming potion.He looked at her and her expression suddenly changed to loathing."He was their friend!I hope he gets to me.'Coz when he does I'm gonna be ready.When he does I'm gonna kill him!"She said fuming with anger."No!"Snape went and sat beside her."You're not thinking straight.You're blinded by anger.Take this potion."He forced her to drink it down.She calmed considerably.Snape sighed,"I know what he did.But lowering yourself to his level is not right.You will get justice.But do you really think killing him would give you solace?Will you be able to live with yourself after taking the life of a fellow human being?Murder is the worst sin of all and it breaks your soul irreparably.Black's not worth it.He would be taken back to Askaban once he's caught.""He escaped from there once,what if he does that again?"Hermione protested."They'll catch him again.We won't let him touch you,or your loved ones."he assured."He has already killed my loved ones."Hermione said,her eyes brimming with tears.Debating with himself,Snape decided it was the right moment.He placed his hands over hers and clutched it tight."Your parents died protecting you.But gambling away their sacrifices by looking for their murderer to seek revenge seems a pretty poor way to repay them."Hermione looked sorry but nodded.After a while he let go of her hand and sat back."So,how did you come to know about the secret passageway?"He asked,genuinely interested."I..um..from this."Sheepishly she took out a folded parchment from her pocket.He opened it to reveal a map of Hogwarts marked with all the classes,rooms and also the people in it.Snape stared at it dumbfounded.Then he sat massaging the bridge of his nose."Hermione...don't you realise a magical map of Hogwarts is a map to you?What if it had come in the wrong hands?For example,Sirius Black's?!"Hermione was ashamed and bit her lip."I used an invisibility cloak."she added in a small voice.Ok,better.But still,the risk...He gave an exasperated sigh."You may go back to your room.And go straight there.You know,otherwise,I'll find out."he said,tapping the map.Hermione got up."What...no detention,sir?Perks of being someone whose parents' murderer is out and about trying to kill her too?"Hermione smiled sadly.Snape's lips curled,"No.Perks of being honest with me and trusting me with everything."He tucked the map away in his coat pocket with no intention of giving it back to her.She dejectedly turned to go but added as an afterthought."Sir,just so you know,I don't think the map is always correct.Because I saw someone marked in it,whom I recently came to know about and who is supposed to be dead.""And who might that be?"Snape asked,puzzled."Peter Pettigrew."With this reply,Hermione closed the door on an utterly confused Snape's face.