Title: These fists can fight for two

Author: Miss-Judgey

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendly soul arises from the feeling that there is in every individual something which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone, and is, therefore, absolutely and irretrievably lost. Arthur Schopenhauer

Hermione

As I sat at the kitchen table, staring absently into the middle distance, something inside my stomach snarled at me loudly enough to be heard above the moaning of my father's depression and the drone of early morning radio. After a moment's consideration I realised with some surprise that it was hunger. I knew there was no food in the house; we hadn't been shopping in almost a month. I looked up at my father for a moment and saw that he still hadn't moved from how he had sat earlier in the morning. After my mother's cancer had become terminal, my father lapsed into an almost catatonic state. He didn't leave the hospital once until the day that she died. It had been peaceful, she had merely fallen asleep and not woken up. I will never forget the image of my mother lying in that sterile room, wasting away before our eyes. I was done grieving; my mother had died the day that she was hospitilised. She wasn't my mother from then.

I got up and made myself a cup of hot strong coffee and sat back down at the table. I watched my father as he sat in his chair, staring unblinkingly into his hands. He had bags under his eyes the size of pillows and his unshaven face was stuck in a constant expression of disinterest. Just as my mother wasn't my mother after she was hospitilised, this man was no longer my father.

A rap on the window shook my out of my reverie and I looked up to find a large brown owl knocking its beak against the window. I recognised it straight away as a Hogwarts owl by the letter in its claws. For a while I just sat there in my seat, watching the scrawny owl become more and more persistent. I stood up slowly and wandered cautiously to the window. I let the owl in and it dropped the letter on the bench and flew away. I watched it fly away until it disappeared from sight. I looked down at my Hogwarts letter and then turned to look at my father. He hadn't moved an inch, not even acknowledging the appearance and disappearance of the owl. I opened the top drawer and pushed the Hogwarts letter into it, shutting it with a bang.

Draco

Head Boy. Why would they pick me…? Oh well, father will be pleased.

I had spent the summer at the manor with my family. In other words, I had spent the summer alone. I had read all of my text books for school, taken long walks in the grounds and spent whole days in the library reading whatever took my fancy. On the whole it had been an alright break, if not a little bit isolated and solemn. On the odd occasion that father spoke to me I had rather wished he hadn't spoken at all. Mother and I spoke at the few meals we ate together but we never spoke of anything important. I couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts. Even the company of Crabbe and Goyle had to be better then my summer of solitude. Although, I was more then a little bit curious as to whom I would be sharing my new quarters with. With my luck, it will be Granger.

Severus

Yet another year is about to begin. Soon I will be back at Hogwarts, dealing with every broken and bruised Slytherin, healing their wounds, soothing their shattered egos and calming their nerves. Anyone who thinks that my job is easy couldn't be more wrong, but I would never leave. My students, my children, are the only thing I have and I know that they need me. There is never a quiet day when you are head of Slytherin. In fact, if there was I would be more then a little bit suspicious.

It was the first day of term and Ron and Harry were more then just a little bit worried. Hermione hadn't boarded the train that morning and there was still no sign of her. She hadn't answered any of their owls that summer and it was very unlike Hermione not to write back. Deciding that this was something they couldn't deal with on their own, they approached McGonagall in the Entrance hall.

"Professor?"

"I'm busy Mr. Weasley" snapped professor McGonagall impatiently, as she tried desperately to get the nervous 1st years to line up for the sorting.

"It's Hermione, professor. She wasn't on the train"

Professor McGonagall spun around to face them with a look of deep concern on her face.

"Are you absolutely positive? Are you sure that you didn't just miss her?"

"We're positive professor" said Harry nervously, his feeling of concern growing with every passing moment

"Wait here, boys"

Professor McGonagall raced into the Great hall and came out a few moments later with Professor Snape at her side. They were speaking in hushed voices, both wearing looks of concern. Ron and Harry shared a glance and walked over to the two professors. Before they could speak, professor Snape raced out the Grand doors and disappeared from sight.

"Professor what is going on?" demanded Harry impatiently

"Go and eat boys, I will speak to you after the feast"

Draco was more then just a little bit confused when the Head Girl didn't show up on the train. He began to wonder if they had even picked a Head Girl. He was thinking of all the likely Head Girls when he encountered Ron and Harry speaking in low, nervous voices.

"I wonder where she could be?" said Ron nervously

"Did she write to you this summer? Because she didn't even reply to my letters" asked Harry looking concerned.

"Nah, not even once. She'll be fine though, right? I mean it's Hermione…" Ron trailed off looking doubtful.

Draco put two and two together. The Head girl doesn't show, and Granger is missing. Why hadn't she shown? For Granger to miss the Hogwarts Express something serious must have happened. Draco was more then a little bit intrigued and determined to figure out what was going on.

Snape had heard about the death of Hermione Granger's mother in the summer holidays and had hoped that she would be able to bounce back. Hermione had always been a good student, and even though he didn't show it, he thought she was one of the most tolerable students he had ever met. Snape apparated to the street the Granger's lived on and walked 200 metres to their small townhouse. He knocked on the door and waited patiently. He noticed that none of the lights were on in the house even though it was only 7 p.m. After 10 minutes with no reply, Snape uttered a quiet Alohamora and walked inside the door. The eerie silence of the house made Snape feel uneasy as he looked around the empty family room. Confirming that the family room was empty, Snape walked cautiously through the wooden arch and found an empty kitchen. Feeling confused, Snape walked up the carpeted staircase and on to a small landing. The sound of running water was coming from behind one of the closed doors. With 100 what-ifs going through his mind, Snape walked up to the door and gave a small knock. When there was no reply he called out softly

"Miss Granger? Are you in there?"

There was no reply, which left Snape with only one option. With bated breath, he pushed open the door and found himself facing a sight he never thought he would see. The taps in the shower and the sink were turned on full blast and the room was full of steam. And there, leaning against the wall of the bath, was Hermione Granger. Snape carefully approached the young witch, sensing the tension from across the room. She was sitting in a ball, completely still and silent. Her clothes were soaked and her hair was dripping into large puddles on the ground. She didn't look around when the potions master entered the room, but just continued to stare into the distance. Snape was rattled by the sight of such a composed and rational person looking so…broken.

Kneeling beside Hermione, Snape whispered softly

"Miss Granger? Can you hear me?"

Hermione nodded slightly but continued to look straight ahead.

Snape positioned himself so he was in her line of sight

"Where is your father, Hermione?"

Hermione broke out of her reverie and looked into the concerned eyes of her potions professor. With a half-hearted shrug she looked back down to the ground and quietly muttered "He left"

Snape sighed deeply and pulled a towel off the rack on the wall, wrapping it around Hermione's bony shoulders. He noticed the she was considerably smaller then when he had last seen her, and she was skinny to begin with.

"I went to find him this morning and he was gone. He took everything"

Hermione was looking at the ground distractedly, her shoulders were hunched and she was just beginning to feel the cold.

"Come on, Miss Granger. Let's go and get your things." Snape said softly, helping her up off the ground

"I'm taking you back to Hogwarts"

Authors Note: Tell me what you guys think so far, I'm not sure whether I want to continue with this one or not. Review please!