A/N; Thank you to everyone who reviewed :D
Hope you like it...
Severus saw her from out the tall window from the 5th floor staircase. She was sitting on the stone steps, her knees bent up to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them. She was lost so deep in thought that the rest of the world seemed nonexistent.
It was moments like these that he realised just how grown up his students had become.
He may not like his students, but he did notice. He noticed everything. It came along with the whole package of being a master of deception. In order to appear faithful to one side or another as he did so many times as a spy he had to make sure that every tiny detail was observed and noted. Nothing could go amiss; there was no room for error in his line of work. His life literally depended on it.
That's how he noticed his students.
It didn't make him hate them any less. He despised them and their youth, young and carefree. What did they know about war and the dangers that were inevitably to come? They pranced about the castle with their unwelcome smiles and nauseating laughter. Joking in the corridors about the malicious Potions Master. He was that way for a reason.
The world was too easy for them; they were being given everything on a silver platter. How Albus expected them to be prepared for what was likely, their imminent death, if he molly coddled them every waking hour?
It was all very ridiculous.
Staring out the window however, he couldn't help but notice her, she seemed to bear the weight of the world on her shoulders, that along with the weight of that untameable bushel she called hair, he thought to himself.
Her chin rested heavily on one of her arms, her head leaning slightly to one side.
She had grown up too fast. He thought sadly. She had faced more than she deserved, and being the backbone of that group of idiots she called friends, time had not treated her well. Her face looked tired, the joy and spark that once lay in the eyes of an overenthusiastic first year had all but gone.
Grudgingly he remembered their encounter the other night, she seemed so happy to be organising the Graduation Ball, subconsciously he made a mental note to accept her invitation to speak at the event, she deserved at least that.
IIIII
Ginny met Hermione in the library; she had received a note left on her bedside table instructing her to do so as soon as possible.
So after Ginny had showered and dressed she made her way down. By the looks of it Hermione had been sitting there for hours, her face tired and pale.
"Hermione you look ill" she said.
The girl in question just looked up from her daydream and smiled, "good morning to you too" she said sarcastically.
"So what's up?" Ginny asked cheerfully.
Noticing the look of torment on her friends face she suddenly became serious, "Hermione, what's wrong?"
Hermione took a deep breath, "Ron" she simply said.
Ginny looked panicked for a brief moment, Hermione seemed to notice and quickly added, "oh he's ok, he asked me out that all".
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ginny smiled, "that's all? Jeeze Hermione I though he had died or something!"
Hermione gave her friend a small half smile.
"So what's wrong with him asking you out? He's liked you for like… Forever you know?"
"I know" Hermione sighed.
"But you don't like him" Ginny said, slowly understanding.
"I'm sorry Gin" Hermione said sympathetically to her friend, " I tried to let him down but he persisted, so eventually I said I would think about it and now he thinks we're a couple".
"I knew you were out of his league anyway" Ginny laughed, "you have to tell him Hermione, he will be crushed but best do it sooner rather than later".
"I know" she sighed yet again, "I don't want to ruin our friendship though".
"Well seems like it's down to him really, I mean if you tried to tell him no and he didn't listen, he can only blame himself" she reasoned.
"I guess your right"
"I could ask Harry to talk to him if you like?" Ginny offered.
"No, no" Hermione gasped, "I'll do it, but if you could get Harry to perhaps suggest we all go to Hogsmeade as a group, that would help?"
"Sure no problem" Ginny said patting her friend on the arm, "now go get some damn sleep, you look exhausted" she ordered.
Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't argue, thinking about it, it was rather stupid of her to spend all day and night worrying over Ron. He would just have to accept that they could only be friends. She just prayed that hogsmeade tomorrow wouldn't be awkward.
IIIII
"One by one?" she asked in a worried voice.
"It seems that way, yes" his cold voice replied, no trace of emotion present.
"I don't understand why though?" Minerva McGonagall asked.
"Boredom?" he suggested
"Severus!" the headmaster said warningly.
"He takes them out one by one, a few here a few there, panic starts to arise and eventually no students feel brave enough to leave the school, they become…Trapped in a sense" he explains.
"And that's when he will attack?" McGonagall's trembling voice echoes through the corridor.
"Like shooting fish in a barrel" Dumbledore announces
Both the younger professors look at the headmaster in confusion.
"A muggle expression" he informs them.
"I hardly think this is the time for jokes Albus" Severus says still without any trace of emotion.
"Of course not Severus" the headmaster agrees, "but I do not see any immediate threat, Hogwarts is more protected than even I know, and to break through our wards would be near impossible".
"Still I think we should take precautions" Minerva voiced.
"And all the necessary precautions will be taken; rest assured I will not let anything happen whilst I am here".
"And what about my seventh years?" Minerva's worried voice rung out again.
"Ah Hogsmeade," Dumbledore sighed calmly, "I think that tomorrow will be no threat, after that, I am afraid that I will have to prohibit the expeditions, or at least limit them to chaperoned ones".
"I am not chaperoning any seventh years students" Severus remarked dryly.
"Of course not" Dumbledore twinkled.
"Never mind chaperoning, what will happen next?" Minerva asked Severus, "What's going to happen to you?"
A thick silence followed her last question.
"The Dark Lord has seen my lack of participation in the planning of this attack daunting to say the least, he asks that if my commitment and loyalty are to be true that I supply him with at least one of Potters inner circle"
"No" Minerva cried out in shock.
Dumbledore remained impassive.
"That Minerva is precisely what I told him" he confessed.
"But Severus, surely he wouldn't have accepted that?"
Snape looked directly at her, his dark eyes fixed in a piercing stare, "he didn't, if I return without anything to show…" he paused to take a breath, "he will kill me".
Outside the door to Minerva McGonagall's office, unknown by all its occupants, stood a wide eyed and extremely shocked Hermione Granger.
A/N; Again thanx to all my reviewers!
Next chap up soon.
Though if you leave me a Review It will encourage me to write faster ;)