"Morning hun," called her mother from the kitchen table, Dr Granger was a petit women and bushy hair that her daughter inherited. Hermione walked over and kissed her mother on the cheek, "Morning mum," she said, taking her usual seat in the middle of the table. Hermione poured herself some tea and picked a slice of toast off her mother's plate, "Have you finished with that?" she asked, indicating the pile of morning papers, her mother nodded. Hermione gave a quick scan to the headlines but nothing stood out. Ever since last year Hermione had demanded that her parents buy every paper just so she could check them. Not everything was printed in the wizard papers.

It had been 5 short months since Harry had defeated Lord Voldemort, she had been naive, like a lot of people in thinking that with Voldemort gone there could be peace in the wizarding world, she had never really known peace in that world before.

It lasted a month.

Before long the Dark Mark started showing up above houses again the wizarding world was in pandemonium.

Was He back?

Did Potter lie?

Could He really be killed?

The Order worked hard, they knew it was not Lord Voldemort as Harry killed him, they had all seen Harry kill him. After a month they found out that it was a Death Eater. One of Voldemorts inner circle of Death Eaters had risen through the ranks and named themselves Leader.

However, the Order still did not know who was in charge everyone had their own ideas, there where arrests, Aurar's were everywhere. Anyone the Order caught wouldn't speck, a few killed themselves and some of the lower followers didn't know, Harry thought it might be Snape, but there was no proof.

"Hermione?" Hermione glanced up at her mother then realised that she had been asked a question "Pardon?" her mother gave a sigh "I said are you still going to come to you fathers function next week? We understand if you don't want to but Hermione" she sighed again. "You have a life to lead remember, I thought that was the whole reason for this gap year before you start training." She reached over and squeezed her daughter's hand.

"I know. I know. I'm going. I was actually going to pick up my dress later on." her mother beamed "I'm glad, plus you never know there might even be a gent there that might catch your eye!" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "As long as it's not Pervy Peters!" she replied. Both mother and daughter laughed.

Hermione was strolling down Oxford Street having finally picked out a dress. It was a tossup between a sexy red number or a little black dress, she decided on the red in the end so what if she showed a little cleavage, better a little cleavage then a lot of leg!

Contrary to what her parents thought, she was really looking forward to the event, to spend time with her parents and show her dad how proud of him she was. She loved her friends, but there was a little part of her that just wanted to forget about magic and all the pain it could cause for a little while. That's why she told Mrs. Weasley she wouldn't be at the burrow till a few more weeks; Ginny had gone back to Hogwarts for her final year.

Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts by a commotion happening down a side street. She looked around her, not one person was paying the any attention they were busy, on the phone, talking to their friends, listening to the music. Muggles! She thought as she looked down the alley again. It looked like two people from what she could make out (and that wasn't a lot) one person seemed to be struggling under the weight of the other.

"What in the world?" she said she checked for her wand then she made her way over to them, she got close enough to hear bit of their conversation. "You must ... leave me" said a man's voice that was panting through pain, this must be the man who needed help walking "No!" the other male sobbed, they were both in dark clothing, jeans and a long sleeved black top.

Hermione thought about leaving them, but she was a witch she might be able to help. Taking a deep breath she stepped out from behind them and asked "Excuse me. Do you need any hel- Oh my God!!" She gasped her hands flying to cover her mouth, her shopping fell to the floor in a forgotten heap. At the sound of her voice the men had turned around. That was when she recognized them, she hadn't seen them in over a year and they looked nothing like their former selves but she could never forget them their faces were on the most wanted and dangerous posters around the wizarding community along with all the other known Death Eaters, but there they were in muggle London. Severus Snape was being held up by Draco Malfoy.

All three stood frozen, all the background noise was muted the only sound was Snape's labored breathing. Although her body was frozen, her mind was in over drive.

Where had they been?

Why were they here?

Should she run away?

Could she run?

Was Snape really hurt?

If so, then how badly?

Should she help them?

"Gra.. nger?" Snape said like he couldn't believe his eyes. Hermione looked at Malfoy and noticed he kept looking at the busy street exit behind her. Something kicked in then; Adrenalin? Fear? It made her do something she never thought she would do.

Help.

"Professor are you o.k?" She asked stepping forward, now that she was closer she could see more clearly. Snape had one arm thrown over Malfoy's shoulder the other was clutching his stomach and that was when she noticed the blood pooling through his fingers. "Oh my God, sir!" she dashed forward the last few steps over to the two men.

"What happened? Why didn't you heal yourself?" she asked. Malfoy seemed to be frozen he wasn't even blinking, like he was in his own little world maybe reliving what happened. "No ... wand" Snape spluttered as Hermione helped him out of Malfoy's grip and on to the ground, she laid him down, she had to see the wound maybe she could help. Hermione ripped off his top, making Snape gasp from the cool air.

What Hermione saw next shocked her to her core, the wound was a small circular hole and blood was pumping from it, she looked up at Snape's pasty coloured face in disbelief, this was no wand inflicted wound "You've been shot!"

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling