My Double Agent

Chapter 5 ~ Christmas

It was Sunday, December 22nd, the snow was falling softly from the clouds above the school, The outside world looking like a fresh white canvas waiting to painted on. Hermione was standing at a windowpane in the great hall watching the weather outside, tea in hand. She was suddenly hugged from the side almost making her drop her tea, "Whoa!" Hermione looks over to the teary-eyed ginger girl, "Ginny, don't go crying on me."

"You can still change your mind! Mum won't mind you staying with us for Christmas!"

"With Lavender Brown being there? No thanks, If I have to hear won won one more time."

As if on cue, Lavender came running up to the two, "Ginny, where is my won won?"

Ginny shivers, "Ugh, he's helping Harry pack the last bit of his things. Please stop calling him won won around me... he's my brother, it's disturbing."

Hermione giggles but hides it with a sip of her tea. Lavender huffs, "You're just jealous cause won won and I are completely in love!" 

Ginny and Hermione look at each other and fake gag before laughing. Lavender sits at a table nearby and decides to wait for Ron with the other two girls. Ginny turns her attention back to Hermione, "Please?"

"No thanks Ginny, I have a lot of stuff I need to do before the end of the year. I just want to get everything done."

"Ugh! Fine! You win!" Ginny dramatically falls onto the floor, Hermione rolls her eyes before sitting next to her on the floor, "You realize how filthy this floor probably is?"

"You realize, as usual, you're probably right."

They both stand up when Harry and Ron walk up. Before anyone could say anything Lavender jumps into Ron's arm, "I'm so excited to meet your parents." Ron kisses her cheek, "They'll love you." Harry rolls his eyes until he locks eyes with Gunny and they both start to blush. Hermione can definitely tell there will be a lot of kissing this holiday, she was for sure staying at Hogwarts. After everyone said their goodbyes, she watches them leave from the windowpane. She continues to sip her tea when she hears some footsteps, she turns around and smiles when she sees Severus standing there, "Hey you, you haven't head home yet?"

"No, this year I'm staying on school grounds."

"So am I."

"What about your parents, where do they think you are?"

"At the Weasleys."

"Aren't they worried about you being left alone with everything going on?"

"They... they don't know about anything."

Hermione looks down at her tea sadden, "The less they know about me and my life for a now, the safer they are. I may be a death eater now, but that won't stop Voldemort from hurting them or killing them."

Severus sighs defeated and leans on the wall next to the window and takes a sip of his own tea, "You're right. You know the deal with Draco. He messes up, his mother dies, no matter how loyal she has been to Voldemort. She was kind of forced into this lifestyle too though. I don't think she wanted this life for herself or her son." 

"Then why did she join?"

"She didn't have much of a choice, her sister is Bellatrix."

"What?!"

"It's true, and then Lucius, he's a devoted slave to Voldemort. Being the 'man' of the house, his family followed."

"Poor Draco, he was practically born to be a-" Hermione freezes and tears started to fill up her eyes.

"What?"

"Oh my god..."

"What is it, are you ok?"

Hermione covers her face and starts to cry; the weight of her task is finally takings its toll on her. Severus puts his tea down and walks up to her, "Talk to me"