A/N:Ok, this piece has been rolling around in my head for about a month now. I know I have other stories to finish, Avenging Angel being my main priority at the moment (I'll have another chapter in a couple of days by the way), but I just had to write this. Should it stay as a one-shot, or should I continue?

The idea that formed in my mind had as pairing HG/SS, and the plot doesn't quite lean on Harry and Ron's favor. They will both be the idiots that we all know they could be. Anyway, if I' to continue this, I can't keep telling you what will happen, now can I?

*grin* Now, what do you guys say? Leave it like this, or keep going?

Prologue.

Poppet.

That awful word kept swirling through her head like water in a glass.

Poppet.

That was the exact word that decided her nemesis's faith nearly two years ago.

Poppet.

That was the foul name that Antonin Dolohov had called her in the Department of Mysteries, while holding her…trying to touch her.

Poppet.

That was the word that distracted her. Because of that word she silenced him instead of stunning him. She never wanted to hear that name again, never wanted to see the man again…but, alas, here she was, on Hogwarts' bloodied grounds, in the middle of a battle, facing him. In the middle of a war. A war that threatened to finish pretty badly if the wrong moves were made.

A war that brought sorrow, tears, hatred, revenge…and many more feelings to the surface.

A war that needed to be won.

A war that needed to end.

Souls that needed protection.

Souls that needed saving.

It was within this much hated image that Hermione Granger had to face the bastard. She'd never forgiven herself for that night, nor for the one that followed her home. She knew that it was her fault. Even her mother was blaming her. With good reason. She was the witch. She was supposed to protect them. She was supposed to watch over them at all times.

She was to be blamed. No one else.

Because of her, her family was destroyed…'No!…because of HIM', her mind shouted.

Antonin Dolohov. Her nemesis. Her bane of existence. The biggest thorn in her side.

She felt disgusted even now, standing several feet away from him, wands pointed at each other. With his yellow teeth, his alcohol smelling breath, with his dirty and ripped clothes.

And the bastard dared to call her that damned name again.

''Well, well, what do we have here…I've missed you poppet.''

Hermione's knuckles went white gripping her wand even tighter. But she didn't answer. It made him angrier that way. It made him loose control.

''What's wrong Poppet? Cat got your tongue? Too bad, I would have loved to taste it first. Then cut it myself,'' he laughed.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, but stayed silent. Knowing about Dolohov's weaknesses was an ace deep in her sleeve. Knowing them was very much in her advantage.

''What do you say we leave them tear each other apart and you come with me for a couple of hours?''

Hermione snorted, but her hand didn't falter. A bile was starting to rise in her throat, but she swallowed it and continued to circle with the man. Excuse of a man actually.

Funny though, they were in the middle of a battle, but for them it seemed that everything had stopped…paused somehow.

She could still see flashes of light in the corner of her eye, but there was no sound…and none touched them.

''Oh, come on poppet, why don't you talk to me?'' Dolohov was starting to breath heavily, showing his losing of temper.

Perfect.

Hermione's lips curled in a sneer and raised an eyebrow in an almost perfect impersonation of one of her most respected professors. Dolohov narrowed his eyes and started throwing hex after hex at her.

'That's it you bastard…tire yourself ' she thought. It was actually easy for her to avoid the curses, especially with his increasing rage, his aim went further and further from the target. She just ducked or stepped away from the flashing colors. Red, blue, white, but never green. It was obvious that he wanted her alive, for his own disgusting fantasies. She wanted to gag at the thought.

It was becoming easier to avoid the curses as soon as Dolohov noticed her smirking as she moved. He was clearly enraged, and Hermione knew that soon enough she would have her revenge. The promise she had made her mother almost two years ago. The vow she had made over her father's grave.

''Come on poppet, stand still already. Don't you want to go play a bit?''

Somehow, Hermione wished that the bile in her throat would just break and cover him in vomit from head to toe. He was disgusting. More so than she remembered him being. And she did remember. Every single damn night, his face hunted her.

He was breathing heavily and his wand hand dropped to his side.

Hermione's smirk grew. Now was her chance. She wasn't a coward, by all means. But she wanted to give him the same treatment he had given her father.

Tilting her head to one side, she whispered the one word she never thought would leave her mouth.

''Crucio…''

It amazed her how the power of the curse sent pleasant tingles through her body. This was considered dark magic, but it felt wonderful…even more so mixed with the satisfying feeling of fulfillment in her revenge. Her anger grew as her father's pained eyes swam in front of hers, her mother's pleading cries were still ringing in her ears, her father's horrifying screaming…and so did the power of her curse.

It was inevitable really. She didn't know how long she had kept him under the torture curse, or how no one was near them, or how none of the other curses hit her, but what her mind acknowledged was only the fact that Dolohov was dead. White foam at the corner of his mouth, eyes frozen wide and obviously in pain.

Hermione shrugged and walked away. Walking through the battle field didn't prove to be as difficult as she thought. A flash of silver caught her eye as Death Eaters fell one after the other in front of her. Turning around her breath caught. Father and son were fighting back to back, trying to protect as much of their family as they had left. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Voldemort himself approach them. Curses were flying from her wand left and right, not really looking where they were targeted, as she quickly made her way towards the three.

Just as Voldemort lifted his wand at them, Hermione's wrist snapped and he went sailing through the air. Jumping over a motionless Death Eater, her hand snatched the emergency wand she kept hidden in her boot and she landed on one knee in front of them, both wands trained on a surprised Voldemort.

''Draco, get your mother and father and get out of here.'' Hermione yelled at the blonde Slytherin. ''Now!'' she growled when he made no move to leave.

Her eyes were narrowed at the dark wizard as he started to stand, and her wrist snapped again, sending Snape's signature curse at him. She was conscious that she wouldn't be able to kill him, but her task was to protect the Malfoys.

Inwardly, she was laughing. After all these years where Draco had called her a mudblood and taunted her, here she was, trying to protect them, even if she knew that her own life was on the run. Actually, ever since that damned night in their mansion, something had snapped in her. Draco had tried to protect them that night. Even thought he'd known it was Harry, he never said it. Lucius had seemed reluctant in calling the Dark Lord, and Narcissa had stared wide-eyed as her insane sister tortured and killed. That night had told her much more about the three than anyone could know.

Voldemort finally managed to lift himself from the ground and turned towards Hermione, eyes blazing.

''Potter's muddblood, can't say I'm charmed. Step away little girl.'' he snarled.

''Fuck off.'' Hermione sneered and threw a blasting curse his way.

His eyes narrowed as he deflected the curse. He hissed something and started dueling with her.

He was good. Very good actually. But his curses weren't that powerful. The bastard knew that he had to keep his strength in order to duel with Harry and Hermione smirked. Well, if she couldn't kill him, at least she could weaken him. Foregoing the protection altogether, she started throwing curses with both wands.

Hermione could still feel the Malfoys behind her and she mentally cursed them. They were tired, more so than her. Why weren't they leaving?

Her thoughts distracted her for a brief moment, and Voldemort was able to land a slicing hex on her thigh, But she didn't stop. Gritting her teeth, more in annoyance than pain, she continued throwing at him everything she got.

Suddenly, a shimmering, blue barrier formed in front of her, and she became aware of both Draco and Lucius' wands hovering over each one of her shoulders. A smile slid over her lips, but she quickly discarded it as she heard Narcissa yell the snake's name.

Where the hell had it been all this time? They'd been looking everywhere for her.

Hermione managed to catch a glimpse of the snake just as it coiled around itself, preparing to strike. 'This is it.' she thought. This was the moment that she would know if she were meant to live or die. The Malfoys didn't know how to destroy Naginni, or why she needed to de destroyed. Hermione had also the explanation and the means. The problem was that Voldemort was still assaulting her with curses.

Sending a silent plea to whatever deity was listening, she allowed the wand in her left hand to slide down her sleeve and grabbed the handle of the disillusioned sword.

'Now or never' she thought as she suddenly spun on her heel and the sword made itself visible again…taking Naginni's head while doing so.

Voldemort fell to the ground with a painful yell and she quickly conjured her Patronus, sending it to Harry.

Hermione was panting as she turned around. She eyed each Malfoy for a few moments and then she jerked her head towards the school gates. Narcissa was crying silently, gripping her husband's arm, Lucius looked at her and then nodded. Draco didn't move though.

''Go!'' Hermione yelled at him.

He shook his head. ''No! I'll stay and fight with you.''

Hermione growled. ''Leave you idiot. They won't think twice in dragging you to Askaban. If the time comes, and I'm still alive that is, I'll vouch for you. If I'm dead, then you should bloody well hide. Now go.''

She could see the tears in his eyes as he nodded, but wouldn't allow her own to show. She took a deep breath and retrieved the second wand again.

It wasn't long after that that Harry stood once again facing the snake faced monster, but she wasn't there to witness it. No, as soon as she had done her business on the battle field, her path formed itself towards the Shrinking Shack.

The fact that Severus Snape was lying in a puddle of his own blood on the floor of said house hadn't left her mind. She admired and respected the man greatly, and no matter what anyone said, she knew he wasn't to blame for Dumbledore's death.

For all their years at Hogwarts, Snape had been there o protect them. Whenever they thought they were alone and in a difficult situation, he had been there. For Merlin's sake, he had stood between them and a fully transformed werewolf in order to protect them, although Hermione knew he had been terrified. The hand shaped bruise she had worn for two weeks on her forearm was proof enough for her. Not to mention the fact that Remus had told her what had happened that night in their sixth year. Oh, how she had hated Sirius after that.

She had figured it out that he was a spy that day in the hospital wing, when Fudge had demanded to know how they were so sure that Voldemort had returned, and he had just lifted the sleeve of his shirt and showed him the dark mark, regardless of who would see it. That's when her respect for the potions master had grown.

Hermione had heard of Voldemort's temper, not to mention the fact that Harry had nightmares that showed him exactly what the Death Eaters suffered when he was throwing a temper tantrum. And Harry always confided in her.

No one cared though. Not his students, not the Order…not even Dumbledore. Never.

Severus Snape was suffering at almost every summon, and no one gave a damn. She had tried to tell the boys that he should be trusted, that he was on their side…but then he had hurled the killing curse at Dumbledore, and everything she had managed to convince them until then was shattered.

She wouldn't believe it though. Severus Snape always did everything with a purpose. He had never shown any sign of violence, be it against students or staff, and then to just hurl the curse at the headmaster…too many unanswered questions.

Hermione cast her eyes at the motionless body again as she crawled out of the tunnel, and breathed a sigh. The moment he had peered into Harry's eyes, she had cast a wandless stasis charm on his body and followed the boys out. No one needed to know he was still alive. If they were going to send him to Askaban, she would make sure he had a chance of fleeing first. She just hoped none of the other Death Eaters found him.

Luckily they hadn't.

Hermione Granger wasn't called the brightest witch of her age for nothing. She had healed Harry after Naginni's attack in Godric's Hollow, hadn't she? This was the same.

It had been extremely difficult to find the Phoenix tears, but it had been worth the trouble.

Sitting down on the floor, she lifted his head into her lap and started pouring potions down his throat, and anything else needed.

First went the Bezoar, then the tears, then the Ditany on the wounded skin, blood replenishing potion and a strengthening potion. She smiled. Lifting the stasis charm, she levitated him onto the dusty bed, wrote a note in case he woke up before she was back, and slipped into the dark tunnel again.

She didn't need his thanks, she didn't need his gratitude. She just wanted the man she had respected for so many years, alive and well. No one wanted to die, no matter how much he loathed himself, no matter how much guilt he felt over the hundreds of dead that he couldn't save, no matter what he thought of himself…no one deserved to die without having the truth known.

And Severus Snape had some serious explanation to give.

A/N: Liked it? Hated it? Leave me your thoughts.