Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did I would be incredibly rich right now.

This is my first fanfic, please review! This will be a Hermione/Scabior pairing.

Prologue

He stood in the cold forest, shivering slightly as the icy wind tore through the trees toward him. He could smell the frozen ground, hear the bare branches scraping against each other.

It reminded him of being in prison, hours of pointlessly scraping at the bars, howling in despair. He shook himself mentally. No, he thought. Do not go back there.

With great effort, the Snatcher who called himself Scabior pulled his thoughts from those dark memories and back to his present surroundings in the forest. At that same moment, a different scent came to him, slowly, almost lazily, and he wildly was reminded of a warm summer day. He concentrated on that scent, and tried to follow it. Wanted to touch it, move closer to it. But there was nothing but the forest.

He reached out slowly, as if afraid that the scent would disappear if he disturbed the air too much. He thought he felt a ripple, the air felt heavier for a split second, and then it was gone. But it was enough. Scabior had been well trained, and he recognized the presence of a magical ward. Who. He wondered incredulously. Who would cast such a ward, out here in this desolate forest? Almost of its own accord, his hand gripped his wand. It was a complicated bit of magic, but he know how to disable the wards and see who, or what, was hidden behind them. As soon as he acknowledged that it was in fact a magical ward, he knew the scent to be perfume. A woman? He thought in fascination. What in the name of Merlin is a woman who would wear perfume doing out here?

"Scabior! Are you coming or what? What are you doing over there?" The raspy voice of Greyback cut through the woods and brought Scabior back to his senses. He rapidly assessed the situation. If there was a woman, (an extremely talented witch rather), hiding behind the ward, he did not want Greyback around. He had seen enough of what Greyback could do and he knew how easily the werewolf lost control. He inhaled deeply, determined to imprint the scent in his mind so he could find her later. And find her he would. He had not been this intrigued by anything, by anyone, for years. And so quickly! He had to find out more, as if the scent and the mysterious witch behind it were pulling him in, assaulting his senses and removing his control.

"Soon." he whispered to the quiet, cold woods before him. As he turned to go, he thought he heard a sharp intake of breath, but it might have just been the wind.

OooOooO

Chapter 1: After the Second Wizard War

Scabior ran, clutching his wand tightly. It was all he had left. He disappeared into the forest, and as soon as he was out of sight of his pursuers he cast a rapid Disillusionment charm. He did not have time to make sure that he had cast his charm strong enough before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that his arms and legs were bound. He instictively struggled, trying to reach his wand before he heard a sharp laugh.

"Looking for this, scum?" He raised his eyes to the laughing form above him. An Auror stood triumphantly over him, moving Scabior's wand rapidly between his hands. "You won't be needing it where you're going. We've been looking for you for a long time now."

"No! Wait..." Scabior protested weakly, hating himself even in his helpless state for the pleading in his voice. The Auror smiled down at him, and then waved his own wand. Scabior felt his voice leave him as the Silencing charm settled upon him.

"Save it." The Auror spoke harshly, all taunting gone. He clutched Scabior's arm tightly, and they both Disapparated.

When Scabior saw where they had arrived, he felt his panic mounting. He had known that they would arrive at the Ministry from the moment he saw the Auror, but to be here, in this place, was a nightmare for him. The Auror must have alerted his co workers en route, for they were immediately surrounded.

"Well done Weasley!" Another Auror clapped Scabior's captor on the shoulder. "How did you apprehend him?"

"He ran into the forest," Weasley explained. "And when I followed him, he attacked me. I managed to subdue him with a few well placed curses, and brought him in." Scabior shivered in anger at the lie. Of course the Auror would want his companions to think that the capture had been more notable than it really was...all the Auror had actually had to do was stumble over Scabior's unconscious body.

"I daresay the Dementors will have a little kiss for him." jeered another Auror. Scabior swallowed, his fear almost unbearable. He had to get out of this situation somehow, but he could see no options at all.

"Come along now Weasley, bring him down to the court rooms." The first Auror commanded. He looked Scabior over, snorted, and flicked his wand. Scabior felt the ropes that bound him fall away. "He isn't in any condition to run away."

"I almost wish he would try." Weasley snarled, poking Scabior hard in the back with his wand. Scabior concentrated on making himself look weak and unthreatening, which, given his present state, was not too far from the truth anyhow. Without a further word, the Aurors prodded him into the elevator and they moved downward, toward the courtroom that would decide his fate.

Chapter 2: Taken

The "trial" lasted about five minutes. The Auror Weasley pulled Scabior into a standing position to face the head of the Wizarding law community.

"Colin Darkhold Scabior, this court finds you guilty for your role in assisting the late Fenrir Greyback in the capture of fellow wizards. You are hereby sentenced to spend the next 50 years of your life in Azkaban prison. At the conclusion of 50 years, you will be released back into Wizarding Society under strict supervision. That is all."

"If you even last the 50 years." Weasley whispered gleefully. "Let's go." He pulled Scabior out of the courtroom and into the hall. "Prepare for a one way trip to Azkaban. The dementors are eagerly awaiting your arrival and will do everything to make your stay most memorable." Scabior closed his eyes briefly. Weasley was about to Apparate them both to the dreaded prison, and there was nothing he could do.

At that moment, there was a sound on the stone stairs before them. Scabior inhaled the scent before he saw her—the summer from that winter day so long ago in those woods.

"Ron, I've been looking for you...oh." The witch stopped short when she saw that Weasley was with a prisoner.

"Hermione, what are you doing down here?" Ron Weasley asked, irritated. "It will have to wait. I'm escorting this...prisoner...to Azkaban where he belongs." Scabior couldn't help but notice that Weasley was distracted by the arrival of the witch, and he knew that he had only seconds, moments to act.

Scabior pulled his arm out of Ron's grip in one fluid movement. With the next, he dived across the floor and grabbed hold of the witch named Hermione, wrestling her wand from her hand. He swiftly pulled Hermione against him with one arm and pointed her own wand at her throat.

"Stay back!" He yelled to Weasley, whose once jeering face was now white with fear. "Drop your wand or she's dead!" He jabbed the wand into Hermione's neck to make his point, and felt a stab of regret as she whimpered in terror.

"Okay...calm down." Ron placed his wand on the floor slowly, as did the the other Aurors who had been exiting the court room behind them. "You have the wand, just let her go and leave. No one will stop you."

"I don't think so." Scabior growled. "I'll be needing some...insurance...that you won't be following me." He inhaled Hermione's summer scent quickly, raised her wand, and Disapparated them both.