Disclaimer: I will only say this once because I get tired of writing it over and over again; I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize. R&R

How it all began

Hermione ran, and ran, and ran. She didn't cry, she just ran. When she was finally too exhausted to move she fell. She landed in a big pile of a snow. When her uncovered arms hit the snow she let the cold seep into her skin. The cold sent shivers up her spine. She then began to cry. 'Why was this happening to her?' 'What did she do to deserve this?' These questions and plenty more ran through her mind. She shuttered and wiped a frozen to the core hand across her tear drenched face. She let out a slow shaky breath.

"Why the hell did my parents have to be part of the raid?" Hermione whispered more to herself. She let out an ear shattering scream. First Ron gives up on liking her and goes for a girl she never met, then Harry turns out to not like her and is happily with Ginny, Draco turns out to just be using her-not actually liking her, and finally Death Eaters kill her parents. She began to cry again. It wasn't just because she was sad, it was also the fact that snow flakes were falling into her eyes.

"Miss Granger?" a firm but concerned voice asked. Hermione batted her long lashes and bit her bottom lip. She realized it had to be one of the new students at Hogwarts or it had to be one of the teachers.

"Miss Granger, what in Merlin's name are you doing?" the voice asked a little bit louder still concerned. Hermione ignored the various attempts of contact. Until the figure got on his hands and knees and leaned over her. His long black hair fell around his face and he stared into her honey brown eyes.

"Miss Granger, are you okay?" the voice asked. Hermione blinked again and realized it was Snape. She lifted a shaky hand and put the note in front of her face. Severus realized that she wanted him to read it. He picked it up and skimmed it. He finally grasped the concept and he frowned.

"Oh Miss Granger, you poor thing. Come on, let's get you back to Hogwarts." Severus whispered, his voice teaming with concern. She thrashed her head and screamed.

"No, no, NO!!! I don't want to go back there!" Hermione cried. Severus ignored her and picked her up in his arms. Instead of tensing or pulling away, or even trying to escape like he expected she curled up closer to his chest as she cried.

"What did I do to deserve this, sure I have no social life-I'm not very popular and I am not that pretty, but why does that give them any reason to do that?" Hermione whispered to herself.

"Miss Granger, you know that isn't true. You are very secluded, but you're very pretty and you're brilliant." Severus mumbled trying to comfort the teenage girl he was carrying.

"Liar, you're just saying that, you're my teacher." Hermione growled.

"Actually, I'm not, and being your teacher is exactly why I shouldn't be." Severus murmured. Hermione began to shake violently.

"Hermione!" Severus gasped. He searched for her pulse but found none. She was dying.

"Hermione, it will be okay, I promise." Severus whispered forgetting to call her 'Miss Granger'. Severus began to dash to Hogwarts, completely forgetting he was a wizard and he could just floo or rather 'poof' them there.

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Severus burst into the infirmary doors began to search frantically for Poppy.

"Poppy, Poppy! Oh for Merlin's sake, Poppy!" Severus shouted. Poppy ran into the room. She was frantic.

"What is it Severus, I have a first year with a broken index finger." Poppy asked with a little bit of sarcasm.

"No time for that, I something more important!" Severus shouted.

"What could be more important?" Poppy asked still sarcastic.

"Hermione Granger has no pulse, I found her lying in the snow by herself; crying!" Severus explained between gasps of air. Poppy's eyes widened and she ran to the bed Severus had placed Hermione on.

After about an hour Severus was still there pacing frantically. When Poppy stepped into the hall Severus was the first to pounce on her.

"Is she okay, did she live?" Severus asked frantically.

Poppy nodded. "Miss Granger is quite fine and she will make a full recovery. Why, if it weren't for you Severus she would have died of hypothermia." Severus let out a relieved sigh and headed back to his quarters.

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Severus' POV

I sank into my large chair and sighed yet again. 'How did a stroll down the street turn out to this?' I asked myself silently. I shook my head and went to the liquor cabnet. I poured myself a glass of fire whiskey and sat in the chair at my desk. I shook my head again and fire called Lucius Malfoy. I told him that if he valued his life that he would get his ass down here ASAP. He did as told and flooed strait into my room.

"What is it Sev?" Lucius asked playfully.

"Were you in the raid?" I growled.

"Raid, which raid?" Lucius asked certain puzzlement across his face.

"The raid into muggle London the night before, where which two adults' lives were taken." I replied, finishing my first glass of fire whiskey.

Lucius smirked then shook his head. "Why Sev dear?" I glared at him. I hate it when he played the house wife role.

"Because, those two muggles were Hermione Granger's parents. You remember her right, the girl that your son played around with, I mean her heart." I sneered, downing another fire whiskey. Lucius' jaw dropped. He was a Death Eater like Severus all the same, but unlike the others they were tying to free themselves of it. Severus had finally done so and Lucius was tying desperately to finish what has to be done.

"Hermione almost died, well rather killed herself, tonight." I mumbled downing another fire whiskey.

"I found her so upset she had fallen aback in snow in nothing but a T-shirt and jeans. She just lay there doing nothing but crying her god damn eyes out." I finished slamming my fist down on the desk top. I downed another glass of fire whiskey.

"You know Sev, most people only have one glass of fire whiskey when they are stressed, two if they are celebrating, but I have never in all my years seen somebody down four strait glasses of it." Lucius murmured laughing. I chuckled and threw a book at him.

"What in Merlin's name is this for? I don't read." Lucius groaned.

"Oh bloody hell, I know you don't read, but your son does. He needs to read that for class." I grumbled.

"Question: why didn't he get this during class?" Lucius asked.

"Because, he is the only one getting the assignment; if he dozen't do it he fails my class. Tell him it's...payback for injuring Hermione...emotionally." I laughed. Lucius chuckled.

"He's going to hate you, but I understand. He had no right to do what he did to Hermione. Mudblood...er...muggle born or not." Lucius recoiled. I nodded and downed another glass of fire whiskey.

"Goodbye my drunken friend." Lucius waved flooing home.

"Goodbye, ex-Death Eater, soon-to-be." I mumbled.