Sharing some artwork I commissioned from a Dramione artist (ImperiNess on IG)
It’s absolutely perfect 😍 (I have a higher resolution photo I’ll be adding to my story)
I’ll share a little snippet for anyone who’s interested.
Between The Lies on AO3 (WIP with an undetermined length - around 40 or 50 chapters as of now)
The story begins during a vicious interrogation at the hands of Voldemort that leaves Hermione nearly dead. We discover that she’s been training with Snape for this exact situation, a plan formed by Snape to use Hermione’s exceptional occlumency skills to deceive Voldemort. Except it turns out Hermione is more than exceptional and her talent has led to her being a captive for far longer than intended and in the hands of the very person she was meant to sacrifice, Draco Malfoy.
Can they navigate Snape’s web of lies, deceit and secrets and defeat Voldemort once and for all?
Snippet: Chapter 2 (flashback)
"The Dark lord must feel your defenses fall. This is crucial.” Snape's voice echoed around her as his office slowly faded back into view. Small beads of perspiration had formed above his brow. They'd been training for hours— for months. Hermione tried to bulldoze through the process, confident in her ability, but Snape kept the pace of her progress slow and grueling. He was holding back.
He reached inside his robes to produce a handkerchief, eyeing her tensely before continuing. “Layer your secrets, carefully, unfolding the less valuable ones slowly, reluctantly. Never offering, let him take, let him destroy. The feeling will be indescribable. Beyond pain, beyond any fear you’ve ever imagined.” He stopped momentarily and met her stare. “A part of yourself, your soul, will fracture. It must!”
Hermione had wavered at the thought of breaking her soul, at what secrets Voldemort’s would need to uncover to truly wreck her. She gripped Snape's worn leather chair for support as doubt crept in.
“I won’t give them up Severus, any of them” Her voice trembled. She was dizzy with exhaustion, her mental defenses down, bare. “I can do this without breaking. I can do this”. she repeated with feigned confidence, her voice small and almost pleading.
“The Dark Lord will never believe it. He’s penetrated countless minds. He knows how it happens and precisely when it happens. In order to deceive him you must sacrifice a part of you. It must be pure enough that it will break you in the process. Do this and you will succeed - do this and you will end the war.”
A sacrifice, Hermione repeated to herself.
Snape had seen every memory, every part of her, except her deepest secrets. They remained at her center, golden and pure. It wasn’t necessary to disturb them or reveal them fully to him. The faces and emotions that created the Orbs in which they were encompassed was enough for Snape to grasp their meaning. The orbs fascinated her, she had created them unknowingly and now with Snapes help she would create a new orb, a lie, that was the next step.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/28999410/chapters/71170110
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Organization for Transformative Works
