Hermione stared at Professor McGonagall like she was her worst nightmare, then a second thought ran through her mind, "Harry," she whispered, "Harry," she said more loudly startling her Head of House, "I've have to go help Harry! How long was I out, Professor?"
She slipped out of the hospital bed her soul intent on running away with Harry. This is what Dumbledore had feared and Voldemort has planned. The Boy Who Lived being trapped surrounded by Death Eaters not including the few students who are on the Dark Side also, including Draco. Her heart gave a twinge.
Before her feet could even touch the cold tile of the Infirmary Hermione felt strong arms getting wrapped around her waist.
"Let me go Professor, please?" Hermione asked calmly she wiggled around in she strong arms, she didn't know McGonagall was that strong, "Professor! Please! I have to go!"
"It is Headmaster now, Miss Granger," A soft voice said near her ear upsetting her curls and making Hermione jump 3 feet in the air. That wasn't Professor McGonagall's voice; this one is deeper and silkier like grease…
"Snape?" Hermione said tentatively as if she couldn't believe it.
"Headmaster Snape," he said in a clipped tone, tsking, and plopping her back onto the creaking bed turning her body towards his, "Where did you think you were going Miss Granger?" His beady eyes narrow in suspicion.
Up close Hermione can count how many wrinkles line his face, "Uh, er," Snape raises an eyebrow waiting, "The bathroom. I was going to the bathroom."
Snape nods his head once, "Minerva, take Miss Granger to the bathroom around the corner," Professor McGonagall comes in Hermione's line of sight nodding tersely to her. Hermione immediately jumps up glad for a way out of this uncomfortable situation.
She follows her out of the Infirmary until she speaks out of earshot of Snape, "Professor," Hermione says getting the older witch's attention, "I need to help Harry," She puts her hand in her robe pocket, she thanks silently to whomever is looking over her; she still has her wand, her greatest weapon.
"Take a left," Professor McGonagall says quickly, "You have been out for three days Miss Granger. I have been demoted and as you very well may know that Snape is now Headmaster. The day after you had collapsed, in the morning The Prophet has released that the Death Eaters has overrun the Ministry," Hermione gasps being the perfect audience, "Yes, now child. You need to quickly run to the Head tower and pack up necessary essentials for this class; the students are now having lunch in the Great Hall. You only have twenty five minutes to find Potter and Weasley and go. Be care now, Miss Granger, even the walls have ears,"
Hermione nods once swiftly turning off into the corridor of many windows.
"Miss Granger?" McGonagall calls out making Hermione turn around, "Watch out for the Carrows,"
In the back of Hermione's mind the name register briefly as one of the Death Eater dissent before quickly going back to listing important things for their trip. She takes of running. Left, right, left- Hermione was so distracted she ran right into a wall, there isn't supposed to be a wall here; Hermione checks her mental map before looking up and gasping. One of the windows had sunlight making the "wall" have platinum blond hair almost white.
"Granger?" The figure asks surprised as she, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the Infirmary?"
"Not now Malfoy. I'm in a hurry," Hermione gets up and dusts herself off.
Malfoy snorts, "Clearly. Didn't you here any of the new rules going up?" She could heard the sneer in the voice without turning to look at him, "That's nice." Ignoring his rambling she heads up the stairs leading to her common room tower.
"Granger my godfather- Hey! Where do you think you are going?" His voice calls out from the bottom.
At the top, Hermione quickly says the password to one of the seven mermaids in the portrait, pulling her wand out. While the painting slowly swings open Hermione turns around to face the slightly panting Malfoy, "Granger, you didn't miss much in classes, there was a riot led by Potter and that silly group he managed to create-," His grey eyes took notice of her wand, then they widened, "Hey now easy Gran-," He managed to get out before Hermione stunned him.
A riot? All Hermione could hear was the sound of her heart. "Sorry ferret," she clambered in the entrance running towards her room. Grabbing her bag she used during the hunt for the Horcruxes she stuffed her clothes, needed books, stuffed the silly old expanded tent, accio'd Harry's and Ron's, the Marauder's Map, and Invisibility Cloak. Hermione looked in the endless bag, she gasped. Where was it? Where was Hogwarts, A History? She searched futilely for in around her room, with no such luck, and figuring she wasting time, Hermione slings the bag around her shoulder intent on finding Harry and Ron.
Pausing Hermione accio'd some food out of the kitchen figuring she will do something for the house elves when she- if she ever got back. Covering her head with her hands she waited for the impact of the food against the glass.
Bang. Hermione shrieked and fell over from the impact. Hermione, get a hold of yourself, she reprimanded and figuring out it wasn't just the food flying through the window she fumbled for her wand, but before she had time to react to the intruder she felt hand roughly turning her over and something falling on top of her.
With the breath knocked out of her she opens her eyes.
"Granger. What in Merlin's pants do you think you are doing?" Malfoy asks angrily, "Don't ever do a trick like that again."
Bugger, Hermione thinks.
Hermione lifts her eyes up into the steel grey of Malfoy's and find him lying on top of her, she was shocked. "It's none of your business what I do. Now get off me!" Malfoy shakes his head before smirking down at her, a little condescending, which got Hermione mad, "Get off me you git. Get off!" She starts shrieking profanities. But before she could say another word she felt unmistakably the pressure of Malfoy's lips on top of hers.
Hermione pulled away, feeling like she got slapped. Kicking Malfoy in the groin, leaving him groaning she accio'd all the food that was scattered on the ground into her endless bag and took off towards the Great Hall searching desperately for her best friends.
Harry searched the sea of students that crowded the main corridor, Professor McGonagall told him during lunch Hermione wanted to help him with his "class". Pushing up his glasses on the bridge of his nose he glances at Ron who just sat on the ledge kissing Lavender, before Ron could see him watching Harry quickly turns away disgusted.
"Harry!" A voice called out.
Harry quickly jumps up from his place on the ground grabbing his bag and nodding to the redhead who shrugs and follows him as Harry tries to act as casual as possible despite his jumping nerves.
"Hermione," Harry says, finally taking a breath he didn't know his was holding in and taking in his best friend's appearance; her hair more disheveled than ever, her usually pale face flushed, and her honey brown eyes bright, "Let's get out of here," He grabbed her arm.
He felt a jab in his side, "We have company," Ron says in his ear.
Taking necessary precautions he looks for the Carrows and the Elite team, a group of Slytherins that help Snape with his dirty work, he spots the twin Death Eaters about a yard down the left corridor and two Elites, Crabbe and Malfoy, rushing down the right, they were surrounded.
Helplessly he clutches his wand tighter.
"Harry," a small voice says in his ear, knowing it was Hermione he squeezes her hand in response, "We are not alone, I've seen DA members in the crowd," Just to double check his emerald green eyes scan the crowd of students, picking out Neville, Luna, and Seamus, he nods to each of them in turn giving them a hint and they nod back and pull out their wands.
The crowd parted for the Death Eaters and Elites heading their way. Not bothering about getting expelled any longer Hermione was the first to cast a spell, "Deprimo!" Casting it at the ceiling, soon after the ceiling started crumbling, Harry seeing this happening shouted, "Impervius!" Grabbing Ron by his shirt wrapping his arm around Hermione's waist and said, "Watch out," before the ceiling came tumbling down.
Encased by the rock from the ceiling safely Harry coughed from the dust, "Lumos," he heard Ron say. Once the little cave was lightened he searched to see if Hermione was alright, and heard Ron draw in a breath before he could see properly himself; Hermione was hit in the by a flying projectile before Harry could protect her therefore had a gash in the side of her forehead bleeding profusely.
Sensing there was no time to lose deciding Hermione's brave act was to have more time for them to escape but their pursuers were defiantly going to get them if they don't move fast.
"Ron," Harry said taking control, "We need to get Hermione awake and we need to grab our brooms,"
Ron sputtered, "Oi! Harry! Taking Hermione with us is time consuming! We can't balance her on our broomsticks anyway,"
"But we can't leave her here! They'll defiantly punish her for what we did. And also Ron, didn't we take care of you after we ransacked the Ministry searching for Horcruxes?"
Ron rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed, "That was different besides Hermione likes it here at school then on the run with us. Let's just grab her bag and go!"
Harry looks down at his best friend unsure what to do but finally he says, "Alright, Ron grab her bag, gently and toss it to me," Ron does what he is told, searching in the endless bag Harry finds what he is looking for and lets the silkiness of the object glide over his hand and pointing his wand at Hermione he casts, "Scourgify!" Cleaning her wound on her head leaving no blood behind seeing this Harry quickly casts, "Episkey!" Healing her wound and then hastily covering her with his Invisibility Cloak.
Hearing a faint, "Reducto," from the other side Ron says, "Nox," distinguishing his wand and grabbing Hermione's bag.
Covering their heads with their hands the boys get the first chance they saw, when the first ray of sunlight peaked through the cave, to cast, "Accio broom!"
At once the boys were saddled on their brooms before the Carrows' or either Malfoy or Crabbe had time to react, leaving Hermione covered by the Invisibility Cloak.
Leaving Hermione someplace she really wished she wasn't.
Harry taking one last peek at Hogwarts he saw Malfoy leaning down to pick something up, and fear coursed through Harry. Wanting to turn around and aid his best friend he yells to Ron, "Hold up!" before turn towards Hogwarts once more.
"What?!" Ron shouted, "Let's go Harry before Lord Voldemort decides to show his snaky arse up!"
Seeing no way possible to save Hermione Harry turns around again speeding off the place his Godfather had left him, Number 12 Grimwald Place, and leaving Hermione in stupor state on the cold ground of fall.