It was barely dawn when Hermione awoke from yet another curious dream. For the last week or so she had been having strange visions of her late potions master. Almost real but once she awoke it was hard to remember the details. She clasped her hands over her eyes trying to concentrate on the particulars. She had been in the shrieking shack again, and he had been there. She had been conversating with him about… what? The air of the dream had been a bit rushed but not at all un friendly or frightening. She shook her head and turned over in her bed determined to get at least an hour more sleep before she headed over to Harry and Ginny's place. Thinking of the two of them reminded her of Ron. A twinge of guilt sat in the bottom of her stomach at the thought of there last meeting over three months ago when she had told him she thought it best if the two of them took a break for a while. Today would have been there wedding day. She realized how bad she had hurt him when he never called or tried to contact her afterwards. She thought back to the look of disappointment and surprise in his expression.

Suddenly a still voice called to her in the near darkness, barely a whisper but audible all the same

'Hermione'

She opened her eyes and sat strait in bed grabbing for her wand on her bedside table.

"Lumos!"

Light filled the room immediately.

"Who's there?"

The room was empty except for her cat Crookshanks who had been sleeping at the foot of her bed and was now franticly looking for cover at the sight of her raised wand. Hermione pulled the covers from her bare legs and quietly placed her feet on the floor . She took a step towards the door and caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

"Reducto!"

The pieces of her full length closet mirror door shattered to pieces upon the fern green carpeting. Crookshanks bolted form his hiding place under the bed into the hallway with a loud yowl. Hermione cursed under her breath and rolled her eyes back into her head.

"I'm going mad!"

She thought quietly to her self. She pointed her wand at the shards of glass on the floor and muttered the repairing charm. The glass re-assembled itself back to it's original form instantly and sat back upon her closet door as if it hadn't been blown to bits moments before. Deciding sleep would be impossible Hermione walked into the kitchen and began a pot of coffee. Crookshanks peeked around the corner of the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room as if asking if the coast was clear. Hermione laughed and called the cat to her stroking it's back as it purred at her feet. Just then a tap came to the kitchen window making both Hermione and Crookshanks jump at the sound. A dark grey owl fluttered outside the window with an envelope hanging around it's neck. Hermione opened the window to allow the bird inside, which landed on the counter and breathed rapidly. She pulled the parcel from around the birds neck and took out some bird seed from the cupboard to feed to the owl. She examined the letter which was simply addressed 'HERMIONE'. She broke the HnG wax stamp from the back and pulled out the letter she assumed was from Harry and Ginny.

Hermione

People are coming, get out now, we'll explain later, meet at the burrow. Go now!

Signed,

Harry, and Ginny Potter.

Hermione let the words sink in for all of five seconds before running into her bedroom and grabbing her trunk from the closet throwing in everything in her drawers and off the nightstand. A loud bang sounded from the guest bed room on the other side of the house. Hermione through the trunk closed, and grabbed for her wand off the bed side table a few seconds too late. A blast hit her trunk behind her and all its contents went flying through the room. Hermione hit the floor with a thud and pain erupted from her side. She gasped for the breath that had been knocked from her and looked around to her attacker. It was a tall man with emerald green eyes, a goatee with shaved cheeks, and long jet black hair pulled back into a neat pony tail. He wore dark robes and a strangely shaped pendant around his neck. He smiled and looked over her bare legs in amusement then to the dark blue long sleeved button up blouse she wore, more grazing over the cleavage shone from the first three buttons that remained un done.

"Not bad Granger, I was expecting glasses, and an un filled child like figure of a woman."

His voice was deep and throaty with an air of arrogance. Hermione slowly got to her feet and looked around for a quick exit spotting her wand to the side of the night stand on the floor.

"Please don't Miss. Granger. I would hate to bring harm to such a lovely figure."

She looked back to him and held her ground staring him down and watching his every move, noticing how he didn't even hold his wand up to her and how his eyes frequently visited her un buttoned blouse. She grasped the front of her shirt closing its view to him and glared.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

He smiled revealing perfect white teeth.

"Sorry, my name is Horace Blasdell. And why I am here is for you my dear."

She chanced a step towards her wand. Mistake.

"Imperio!"

Hermione's world became foggy as if she had slipped back into her dream. She sat on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed, and her arms folded over her lap. She looked dreamily up at Horace, her new master, and smiled dreamily. A younger male emerged from behind him. A few inches shorter than her original attacker. He had blonde hair and a nervous appeal about him. He spoke quickly, and quietly so as she couldn't hear there conversation. Horace waved him away with his hand and a frustrated look upon his face, then addressed Hermione once again.

"Sorry about this dear but I've not the patience nor the time for a duel. Come now, or we'll be late."

She rose from the bed and walked to his side still smiling in her dreamlike fog. She looked over to the full length mirror and stopped dead in her tracks. Beside her, and Horace stood another figure. Immediately she broke of the fog, and shook her head for clarification. She looked back to the mirror and saw only herself and Horace who was turned back to her in conversation with the blonde haired man. She took her chance and dashed for her wand. When her fingers touched the tip of the wooden handle she turned it on her intruders and yelled

"Expelliarmus!"

Both there wands flew through the air and hit her bedpost then landed at her feet. She held her wand high and threateningly at the two men. The blonde man cringed and hid slightly behind the other. Horace smiled and raised his hands in a mock defeat.

"Clever. How'd you do that?"

Hermione chanced a glance at the full length mirror at her left at which time Horace took his opportunity and lunged at her knocking her sideways. She felt a crack in her all ready wounded side and cried out in pain. She struggled to breath while trying to fight Horace off of her. She grabbed hold of her wand and managed a quick spell which sent him flying across the room. Quickly she thought of the burrow where Harry told her to go and dis-appareted.

Hermione opened her eyes to find her self in Ron's old bed room on the second floor of the borrow. She cried out for help and limped over to lean on the wall holding her side where pain emanated from her broken ribs. A few seconds later Ron crashed into the room wand raised, then seeing Hermione with tears in her eyes and obviously in pain he ran over to her and put his arms around her waist willing her to lean against him for support. She collapsed against him, her legs giving out from under her. Harry, Ginny, Mrs. Weasly, Fleur, and George all burst into the room all with wands at the ready. Ginny, and Fleur shrieked and ran over to Hermione though Ron was reluctant to hand her over he eased her into Ginny's arms and walked to a corner of the room watching nearly horror stricken with his hands in his pockets. Mrs. Weasly pulled up the side of Hermione's shirt revealing an already darkly bruised rib side, and touched it gently with her fingers. Hermione cried out in pain and suddenly lost all sense of consciousness.

'Hermione…' A familiar voice called from what seemed to be very far away. Hermione's vision swam with images of Ron's room and began to change, and again a voice called out to her seeming closer now as if whoever was speaking to her were only steps away. She looked at her new surroundings and realized she was once again in the shrieking shack. In the corner there was a tall-backed that looked out of a half boarded window facing out to snow covered mountains and tall oak trees. A tall man arose from the chair to face her that she had not noticed at first glance. It was him again. Severus Snape her late potions master from Hogwarts. He smiled unthreateningly and walked forward towards her. She noticed he looked about the same as he had in life but maybe with a bit cleaner less oily hair, though he seemed a bit paler than she remembered. When he spoke to her she felt at ease and relaxed as if he were charming her senses to trust him completely. ' Hello again, Hermione' She cocked her head to the side slightly and walked to the corner keeping her eyes locked with his. He shook his head and walked over to the window to study the scenery. 'I grow tired of this Hermione. I need you to remember these encounters. I need you to remember me.' Hermione stared at him for what felt like forever before speaking. ' I saw you in the mirror. At my house when I was under the Imperio curse. You… that's why it broke. Because I saw you?' She stared questioningly after him as he turned on her with a renewed look of hope showing in his eyes. ' You saw me? Really?' She ran her fingers over her arms as if willing away coldness when really she was quite comfortable. ' You spoke my name… in the darkness. That was you wasn't it?" He smiled and walked closer to her. ' Oh finally I was beginning to think you would never hear me. Now quickly before you wake please try to remember this I beg of you. I can not follow and communicate with you in consciousness if you do not remember me Hermione.' Hermione looked utterly horrified. 'Your dead! This is preposterous! Your dead! This can't be, this is a trick! A charm! A curse! Get away from me! Inferi!' Hermione felt herself spinning back into reality once again.

Hermione awoke to hushed voices she instantly recognized. She opened her eyes to find herself back in Ron's room lying on his bed atop the burgundy and gold bed sheets. She put her hand to he forehead trying to make the images before her make sense. She looked over and saw Mrs. Weasly who was patting her hand lightly with worry in her eyes. She looked around and say that the boys had vacated the room leaving only Fleur, and Ginny with her and Mrs. Weasly.

" How you feeling deary?"

Mrs. Weasly asked. Hermione looked confusedly around the room trying to remember what had happened. She was at home.. Then she got Harry's letter. Then Horace came, and… her ribs. She felt her side only to find it newly repaired and perfect again. She thought harder. How did she get away?….

"Severus!"

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hopefully the paragraphing isnt so annoypng now. sorry it took so long guys. Enjoy!