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CHAPTER 2

MUTUAL TRUST – A BEGINNING?

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Hermione woke with a distinct feeling that all was not right with the world. She soon came to know why as she gazed at the green bed curtains adorning the bed and felt the smooth silk bedspread whisper against her skin. It didn't help to know that this had been Snape's bed once.

She sat up and peeked out of the lush curtains. It was not yet sunrise, she found from the grandfather clock at one end of the room. There were no windows here.

Though this wasn't her usual time to get up, she got out to get ready for the day.

As she sat combing her hair in front of the full-size mirror at one end of the room, her mind wandered off to yesterday. Snape's rudeness aside, it had been a very curious day. She knew what Professor Snape had said was true. He couldn't be a ghost because there were still colours left in him though there was no matter – no solid body. The eternal black still enveloped him.

Hermione braided her hair and checking her appearance once, left the room.

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Not much unexpectedly, Snape was 'sitting' in the armchair in front of the extinguished hearth.

"Good morning, Miss Granger."

Swallowing her surprise, she replied, "Good morning, Professor."

"Professor Dumbledore desires me to tell you about my condition."

She sat down on the chair next to his. "And why weren't you willing to do that before?"

He shrugged. "I was mad at everything. You didn't trust me. I didn't trust you."

"So you trust me now?" asked Hermione, hopefully. She wanted all bitterness to end.

"That decision solely depends on you." He looked at her.

"I trust you."

He looked down at his robe sleeve. "It's a truce, Miss Granger – mutual trust."

"So… what happened to you?"

Severus had really didn't want to say this. It was, as he had seriously told Dumbledore, a question of his reputation. But he supposed that since Miss Granger had promised to trust him, she won't be going about telling his secrets. If what she had said was true, then possibly Potter didn't know.

"Lucius didn't want to kill me," he began, "because he hated me too much for it. He tried a combination of Cruciatus and the Dementor's Curse on me."

"I have never heard about the Dementor's Curse."

"It is the spell-version of the Dementor's Kiss. Surprisingly, it is a very old curse while Dementors are not supposed to be ancient creatures. You don't know about it probably because it is a very dangerous Dark spell."

"So he wanted to remove your soul from your body?"

"Not exactly. As I said, he used it with the Cruciatus Curse. Its combination created a deadlier spell. It is a nameless spell because it was created by the Dark Lord not long ago. He had planned to use it on Potter. But you know that Potter attacked him first so there really wasn't time for this."

"So this spell now, what exactly does it do?"

"It allows my essence – what some would call my 'soul' – to exist in the mortal world but not pass on to the next dimension. And as you well know, whatever exists in the mortal world eventually dies."

Hermione gasped. "He removed your soul from your body and decided to kill your soul?"

"Something like it," said Snape dryly.

"That's… that's…"

"Creative? Or since you are a Gryffindor… horrible?"

"There is no word for it!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide in fearful amazement. She had known that Voldemort was powerful and intelligent, but this was… unimaginable!

"So what do we do now?" she asked, breaking the contemplative silence.

Snape looked at her right in the eye. "We?"

"I want to help," she said determinedly. "I am sorry for what I said last night…"

"You need not be. Whatever you said was true…"

"No!" she interjected. "I was half-asleep and stupid! I am truly sorry and I…"

"Apology accepted. You need not meddle in my affairs now."

She was slightly piqued by his coolness. "I really want to do something to save your… soul."

"Miss Granger…"

"Please, sir! You said you trusted me! I know you want my help! Why else would you tell me this tale?"

Suddenly, a smirk broke out on his face. Not the unpleasant a-hundred-points-from-Gryffindor one, but you-are-cleverer-than-I-thought one.

"You succeed, Miss Granger. Yes, I needed your help."

She couldn't help but smile.

"What can I do?"

There was a wicked glint in his eyes as he said, "Take a hundred points from Gryffindor per day. Since I am not a teacher, the hour-glasses do not accept my orders anymore."

She stared at him for some moments. "Just a hundred? Gryffindors will win the House Cup at this rate. I have this aim of a thousand points from Slytherin per day, so I guess that fulfilling your command won't be too much trouble."

"How about going down to the Restricted Section and bringing all the books you can find on Dark Magic?"

The smile returned as a cheeky grin on her face. "Now you're talking!" she couldn't help saying as she turned towards the exit.

Snape stared after her, quite sure that the nameless spell had addled his brains and the grief of her friends' deaths had addled hers.

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Snape regarded the books that she had brought from the Restricted Section.

"So… which one of these has the highest probability of finding out about… whatever needs to be found?"

Snape was silent for a long time. Eventually, he said in a grave voice, "I am not sure that you ought to be reading this, Miss Granger."

"I confess," said Hermione, "that I have never met a person who changes his mind at the rate you do."

"Darkness… swallows whoever goes near it."

"If you think that I will turn into Lady Voldemort by reading these," Snape winced here, considering the ambiguous meaning of those words, "then you are wrong. I have more self-control."

"It is not a matter of self-control."

"Then?"

"It is more of… individual responses."

Hermione regarded him curiously. "You were strong against it?"

"Presently, Miss Granger, we shall consider your response rather than mine," said Snape severely. "You might begin with the Dark Arts – Medieval Period but if I observe that you are being affected by it for worse, you shall immediately leave off this work."

"Of course," said Hermione, already pulling the book towards her.

"And about your classes…"

"There's still a fortnight."

"The little fools have to be dealt with strictly. It is always beneficial to have lesson plans…"

"Finished with them."

"…and extra assignments."

"I'd start on that after I know what their weaknesses are. Now, for Merlin's sake, let me read!"

Snape glared at her, but she was already engrossed in her most favourite job. He could only gaze longingly at the book, hoping to read it some time soon.

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