Disclaimer: Characters belong to JKR.

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The library at Grimmauld Place was a haven for mysterious and enlightening reading material.

Hermione supposed that Sirius had never really spent much time there or he would have found the books on ward breaking and done a better job sealing off the case that held the books on dark magic. She imagined he'd always been a lazy sod, though.

The first set of wards were his and were, frankly, ridiculously easy to disable. They were the same wards he used on the kitchen cupboard where he kept his biscuits (as if anyone else would eat them!)

The second set of wards took her hours to pick, and simply reeked of Molly Weasley's wand work. Of course Molly wouldn't trust Sirius Black for such a job when Fred and George were around to make mischief.

But goddamn it all if there wasn't a third set.

A third set that tickled her senses with the subtle hint of dark and stopped her cold in her tracks. They were a complicated weaving of alarms, dark warnings, bands of hexes, and memory spells. Each time she encountered them, she found herself back in her room, her wand hand throbbing, wondering what the hell she had been doing for the past hour.

It was frustrating work, and at times seemed utterly futile. Whoever had placed these wards knew what they were doing. At first she assumed it was Professor Dumbledore, but the more time she spent working on it, the darker the origins of the spells appeared to be. There was only one person that frequented 12 Grimmauld Place who not only knew such magic, but had the audacity to use it in the very headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

Severus sodding Snape.

If only his officiousness had extended to the rest of the library, he might have succeeded in thwarting her. But no, like Sirius, he didn't bother to give a second look at any of the books that didn't deal in teaching dark magic and left an entire series on warding and curse breaking in plain sight.

On the last day of summer break, she stayed up almost the entire night and finally managed to pick the third layer of wards. With trembling hands she skimmed over the titles looking for the one that had called to her so strongly when she found it in Regulus' bedroom months ago.

Ars de Potestas: Compulsus ac Compagis (Art of Power: Compulsion & Binding)

Before making the mistake of showing it to Sirius, she had flipped through the pages and saw that Regulus had filled the margins on almost every page with cramped notes relating to ways the spells could be adapted and thwarted, and mentions of Voldemort and the Dark Mark.

Holding it her hands again sent a thrill through her. She quickly tucked the book into her robes and reset the wards on the case. The book felt warm against her chest and she briefly considered taking it to bed with her so as not to let it out of her sight. To her dismay, she knew it was best to hide it immediately. She wrapped tightly in a hooded jumper and tucked it safely into her trunk and warded the lock with one of Snape's alarm/stinger combinations.

Knowing it was in her trunk was a distraction almost the entire train ride to Hogwarts. Her thoughts turned from wondering if anyone would notice the wards on the bookcase had been tampered with, to whether or not the book might be dangerous, to the possibility that it was so dark it might set of the school wards and alert the Professors to what she had done.

Gods. She, Hermione Jean Granger, had defied the will of The Order and stolen, stolen from Sirius Black.

Borrowed, borrowed, borrowed, she corrected herself.

She had every intention of putting it back, after all. She'd read it, copy and research the most relevant spells and notes with Harry and Ron, and replace the book to its case over the hols. No harm done.

Pity than life never seems to work out that way.

When she made mention of perhaps studying such material, Harry and Ron went crazy, reminding her that all the older members of The Order had said it was dangerous and about what had happened to Ginny. As if she needed reminding. Couldn't they trust her that this book was different? It was just a book. A dark book, yes, but still just a book.

No, it was best to do this research without them, because they were so stubborn and self righteous. And she just had to know.

What was it about his Dark Mark that had caused Regulus Black to spend so much time trying to decode its mystery? Did he want to be rid of it? Was that even possible? Compulsion and Binding, that was what the book was about. What sort of magic did Voldemort burn into his followers?

She was going to find out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Studying in Gryffindor tower was never easy. Her housemates were loud, rowdy, and really quite obnoxious. No one could seem to mind their own business, nor quell the urge to make what she imagined they thought were witty observations about her study habits.

It was a risk to work in the library, but if she stayed in the back near the reference section she was pretty well assured that she'd not see another soul except for the occasional Ravenclaw. That was hardly a problem since they were generally too elitist and self absorbed to give a damn about what sort of meaningless drivel anyone else was working on.

There was one other person that she hadn't really given much thought to until two weeks into her research when he took a seat at the table facing hers, Theodore Nott.

He was always in the library as well. She hadn't really noticed him much until 4th year when Harry outed his father as a Death Eater. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were incensed, whispered vile things, and made threatening gestures. Theodore was pensive, silent, and utterly inscrutable, as always.

Slytherin to the core.

Despite being one of the better looking 7th years, she never knew him to have a girlfriend, or any friends really. He was jus there, his dark sea green eyes hidden beneath a mop of wavy dark hair, or behind the pages of a book. His presence near her in the library had never bothered her before that night at the Department of Mysteries when she incapacitated his father and got him thrown into Azkaban, but it had made her a tad uneasy ever since.

More than a tad tonight.

She was careful about which books she selected in case he was watching. She began with Oaths, Pledges, and Bindings and Magical Marriage. The latter wouldn't be of as much help, but Regulus had made a note about vows of soul binding, which she knew was part of many wizarding marriage ceremonies. If Theodore was watching, she hoped he'd assume she was learning about marriage customs.

After 3 hours of scanning text for relevant information, copious note taking, and painstaking spell decoding, Madam Pince made her intentions to close up known by extinguishing the lamps one by one. By the time Hermione had finished writing some last minute notes connecting the dark mark to binding spells that draw out ones magic, it had gotten quite dark in her section of the library and she noticed she was now alone. She quickly replaced the reference books, gathered those she had checked out, along with her notes and Regulus' book and headed for the door.

As she crossed the last isle and walked out the door, she glanced down to rearrange her awkward load and ran full on into solid wall of Slytherin prefect. Namely, Theodore Nott.

Her books and notes tumbled from her arms, scattering across the hall. He looked down at the mess of books and notes and a small smile played about his lips as she scurried and bent to retrieve them all. Wearing only her white blouse and skirt, she exposed a great deal of leg and décolletage to his eye each time she bent over.

She quickly managed to secure her notes, cursing Theodore under her breath for his utter lack of manners, and began tucking her books back under her arm when a familiar and dreaded footfall bore down on them both. To her horror, the feet in question came to a halt just in front of Regulus' book.

She stood still, unable to move, hardly able to breath. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she could only imagine how she must look. A doe in headlights, perhaps? He glanced from the book to her wide eyed-face and back down again. She was sure she was going to be stripped of her Head Girl position if not expelled once he realized what it was.

She attempted to contain her horror when Snape read the title and made move to pick it up. Theodore was quicker and with a flick of wand had summoned the book into his own hands.

Snape's head snapped up and he eyed Theodore with an icy regard. "As I'm sure you're aware, Mr. Nott, dark arts texts are not permitted to leave the restricted section." His slow drawl emphasized every syllable, weighing them with menace.

Theodore replied evenly, "This isn't a library book, Sir." He held the book firmly to his chest, denoting his will not to part with it.

"Indeed. Do you mean to suggest that the book belongs to you, Mr. Nott?" Snape questioned, his tone and manner laden with warning as he glanced meaningfully at Hermione.

"I do, Sir," Theodore replied, meeting Snape's challenge coolly.

The book was class D at worst and Theodore was of age. And Snape knew it.

"50 points from Slytherin, Mr. Nott, for your uncharacteristic lack of prudence," Snape replied, undisguised contempt curling his lip into a sneer.

Snape turned his sneer from Theodore to Hermione and narrowed his eyes further as if to assure her that this was not over, and then stormed down the hall leaving Hermione and Theodore alone in the moonlit corridor outside the library.

"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes shining with wonder and sincerity.

"For what?" he asked, his brows raised.

"For helping me," she replied guilelessly.

He blew a mocking breath through his nose. "How presumptuous," he replied coolly, a devious smile curling his lips.

Oh, she realized, he plans to keep it. How perfectly Slytherin of him. Not that she should have expected anything less. Well, she simply couldn't allow it. For one thing, she still needed to finish her research, and for another, Professor Snape now had a very good idea that she had stolen it and would be heading to Grimmauld Place to prove it at his earliest convenience. And, last but not least, she didn't think it was a good idea for Theodore Nott, son of a known Death Eater, to have access to that book, even if she had heavily charmed and warded it to open only for her.

Theodore was clever.

"That book isn't mine," she confessed.

"I believe we've established that," he replied smugly.

"The person I … borrowed it from is going to want it back," she rejoined meaningfully.

"And this concerns me?" he asked, calling her bluff.

"Please, Theodore," she conceded and attempted her to play her next card: pretty female in distress. "I really need that book back."

He liked that she begged and allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "What are you prepared to offer for it?"

"I've got 8 galleons in my bag," she offered lamely.

"Do you realize who you're talking to?" he asked with an air of offense.

"How much do you expect me to give you for it? It isn't a rare or valuable," she lied easily, "and it's not like it cost you anything …" She put on her prettiest sulk, looking up at him with cow eyes and tucking her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I beg to differ," he replied, raising his brow at her antics, "I paid 50 points for it. From Professor Snape."

And his housemates would know it, she inferred. "I'll help you get them back," she stated earnestly.

"How?" he asked.

She put her hand on her hip and replied as to state the obvious, "I'm Head Girl."

Arrogant chit! As if he would allow his housemates to see him taking points from the Gryffindor princess. "No, thank you."

"What do you want?" she huffed, now feeling a bit exasperated with him. She didn't want to duel him for it, but nothing else had worked and a well timed hex might get her the book as well as a running start back to her dorm.

Her cheeks were flushed and her poise was petulant and intrepid at once. Her lower lip was pink and puffy and glistened from being recently released from between her teeth. Her clothes and hair were in disarray and she appeared ready to begin firing hexes at any moment. She looked utterly fuckable like this, he thought.

And he had something she wanted quite badly.

"Meet me at the top of the astronomy tower tomorrow night at midnight," he ordered and then turned on his heel and headed toward the dungeons.

"What for?" she called after him.

"Negotiations," he replied without looking back.

It wouldn't do to have her see him smirk so lasciviously.

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A/N: Oooh, looky, a whole chapter without smut. Um ... is it any good?