Disclaimer: I don't own anything

I hope you all liked the way I reworked the battle at the ministry. I didn't want to change it too much but I wasn't sure how to work it without Hermione on the proper side of things.

…

TEN – Then There were Visions

Severus noticed a problem the moment Hermione's death grip on his hand released, he turned to shout at her to keep going but her hands were raising up to her throat and chest and blood was pouring between her dainty fingers, her eyes flew to Severus' and he saw her plea for him. In one swift motion, he caught Hermione and jerked her back up against his chest, the loose robes billowing out and encasing her. Severus looked for the source of the hex and saw Potter chasing after them, trading hexes with Greyback who was trying to keep Potter to himself. Another wayward hex flew over Harry's shoulder and Severus blocked it with a fierce jab of his wand.

"Aim like you mean it!" He snarled at Greyback then scooped Hermione up and dashed for a door.

…

Severus used the secret entrance to haul Hermione's unconscious form into his rooms. He dropped her on the beat up couch and pressed his hand against her throat to try to stem the bleeding as he summoned every healing potion he could think of. He poured a topical blood clotting potion over her entire upper body, the sizzling potion reversing his transfiguration of both of their robes. The white cuffs that usually peered out from underneath his heavy outer robes were stained crimson and Hermione's white blouse was no longer white.

He threaded his nimble fingers between the buttons of her shirt and pulled them apart, baring her torso to him. He quickly started the wounds stitching themselves and found anti-curse potions to force down her throat. When he was decently certain the wounds had stopped gushing blood, he forced several blood replenishing potions down her throat then vanished as much of the drying blood as he could. When he was sure she was stable enough, he turned his attention from her to replace his wards then flooed Madam Pomfrey.

Poppy stepped through the fire place in a furious bustle, her mediwitch bag dangling from her elbow as she raced to kneel by Hermione. "She should have been brought straight to me."

"That won't be a good idea in about twenty minutes."

Poppy paused only long enough to glare over her shoulder at him. "And why would that be?" She said, returning to her business of making sure Hermione Granger would survive.

"You are about to get an influx of damaged students who decided they were strong enough to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Poppy huffed. "Let me guess, the little group that Mr Potter thought he was so secret about?"

"Of course."

"Well I see why you would not want her up there." Poppy said, standing up and brushing her hands down the front of her robes. "Who cast the curse?"

"I believe it was Fenrir Greyback, he was aiming for Potter." Severus sneered, "The wolf never did have good aim."

Suddenly a loud humming came from Poppy's wand. "Ah that would be them then, keep giving her blood replenishers and make sure she stays down when she wakes up." And with a curt nod, Poppy was off through the floo.

Severus sighed and stared down at the witch splayed out haphazardly on his leather couch, her angry red torso glaring up at him in sharp contrast with her ocean-blue bra which had been cut apart between the cups and pulled open by Poppy. He pursed his lips and turned away, rummaging through a small chest in the corner of the room and pulled out an old wool blanket and threw it over her body. Severus wandered over to the small table against the wall opposite the couch and poured himself a glass of bourbon and sat back in the old chair near Hermione's feet to keep watch over the young witch.

SHSHSH

Hermione was racing through the Department of Mysteries on her belly, searching, she had lost her wards, she was supposed to be keeping an eye on someone. With a hiss, she avoided a jar thrown at her, she curved around and glared at the fast approaching red head, her eyes ablaze, summoning jars and throwing them. Reacting, Hermione flung out her tail and whipped a jar back at the girl and watched her tumble to the ground with a gasp. Hermione returned to her search. Her master would be so mad if she didn't find Hermione and Severus...

Hermione gasped awake, but her gasp sounded more like a choke and her hand flew to her throat. She whimpered, everything hurt, she was faint. She needed to tell Severus something important!

As if on cue, Severus returned to the room, a plate of biscuits in one hand. "You are going to have scars."

Hermione spun her head to look at him. "Ginny!"

"Is in the hospital wing with the rest."

"She was poisoned!"

"Miss Weasley will be- Excuse me what?" Severus nearly dropped the plate on top of the chest and swooped around to stare at Hermione.

"She was poisoned! Scorpion's Delight or something like that! You have to help her!"

"I- Yes, of course." Severus tried to contain his anger and panic and hurried to the floo to summon Poppy.

"This better be good Severus Snape or I will have your head I will!"

"You said you were having trouble with Miss Weasley. Miss Granger has informed me that she believes the girl was poisoned by Scorpion's Fancy."

Poppy went still and stared at him. "I thought every last drop of that blasted potion was destroyed."

"Apparently not."

"We haven't a moment to spare then, if you happen to have any leftover anti-dote better give it to me, the minimal effects will be better than nothing while I deal with the rest and you must brew more."

"I'll start right away." Severus summoned a small vial and passed it through the floo and Poppy disappeared from the flames.

Severus stood and stared at Hermione who was watching him with anticipatory terror. "I will deal with you later. Lie down and don't move off of that couch. There will be hell to pay if you do."

With a fierce swoosh of his robes, Severus disappeared down the hallway behind the head of the couch. Hermione lay down slowly, suddenly aware of herself. She glanced around her at the large space. She was on a large, camel-back black leather couch and a matching chair was angled towards her near her feet, a book and an empty glass on the elegant silver table next to it. There was another set of furniture across the room from her, that looked to be a dark green and behind them was an ornate silver chest with glass doors and a glass top which housed several bottles. On the only wall untouched by furniture was a floor to ceiling book shelf stuffed with books and next to it, an unassuming chest. Between the chest and the head of the couch was a dark doorway. Hermione squinted trying to see what she felt like was a glorious room but it was far too dark, the fireplace opposite the bookshelf wall had only a low fire burning and no lights were on save a bright candle by the black armchair. The rug set up at an angle, was a silver grey and had dark stains on it near the couch.

Hermione's mouth fell open. Those dark stains were fresh, they were her own blood! Hermione looked down at herself but could only see a large cut trailing from her right collar bone down under her right breast and another from her left side that stopped just a little ways from the top of her left nipple. Her stomach and ribs were dotted with smaller marks. Oh god! Her nipple! Hermione blushed furiously and clutched at the wool blanket, pulling it up to her jaw. She had been completely topless in front of Professor Snape! With a groan, Hermione slid down into the couch and covered herself with the blanket, trying to ignore the pain that was slowly increasing.

Hermione was in the owlry and there were many of her, she could change her point of view by blinking. For now, the owlry tower was empty but there was a memory, hundreds of them, and she pulled them forward. There was Professor Snape, standing amid the owls, his hands clasped behind him, looking through a window. She could see as she flew over the window that he was watching the students depart for Hogsmead, and there was her bushy hair amid the rest. There were more memories she could pull up, hundreds of different memories of the same moments: Snape watching her leave for Hogsmead with Kane, Snape watching her leave for her place on the hill. He was always there, always watching, and then he would leave without ever sending a letter.

Hermione's eyes opened slowly and focused on the image of her professor sitting in the large black chair, his long, delicate fingers cradling an open book in front of him, but his eyes were on her. She blushed and pulled the wool blanket up over the bottom of her chin, although she was already covered.

"Good. You are finally awake. Would you like to tell me how you knew about Miss Weasley?"

"I saw it." Hermione croaked.

Severus furrowed a brow at her. "Unlikely. We were running. Miss Weasley was still fending off a wandless Bellatrix."

Hermione nodded, looking slightly confused. "Yes, before. But after she must have chased after Nagini, she was throwing bottles and one came back and hit her."

Severus Snape did not like to use the words 'stunned' or 'confused' to describe himself, but right now he was both. "How do you know this?"

"I saw it." Hermione's eyebrows pinched together and she shook her head. "No, Nagini saw it but I saw it with her."

Severus stared at her, he knew his eyes were growing rather wide but he couldn't help it. "You can't be." He whispered.

"Can't be what?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at her. "Has this happened before? Where you can access memories that aren't your own, memories that are...animal?"

Hermione watched his face, trying to understand, trying to remember. "Sort of. I knew Nagini was watching us at the ministry because I could see us through her eyes. I think Vol- the Dark Lord asked her to. She was trying to find us when Ginny was throwing things at her."

Severus stared at her unmoving. "You used legilimens on a snake." He said slowly, as if trying to understand the meanings of the words as they came out of his mouth. "You used legilimens on the Dark Lord's snake."

"I didn't mean to. It just happened. I wasn't even thinking about doing it."

Severus leaned forward in his chair, his eyes probing her face, intent. "Any other time?"

Hermione chewed her lip, thinking, then her eyes raised from her lap and found his. What had he been thinking when he was in the owlry? Why had he been there? "Why do you watch me?"

"What?" He snapped, shifting his weight in the chair.

"In the owlry, you watch me when I leave the grounds."

Severus pursed his lips at her and stood. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm in pain."

He had completely forgotten about pain potions. "I'll go fetch you something."

"Why do you watch me?"

Severus ignored her as he left the room. He didn't have an answer. Not even when he asked himself that question. As he went down into his private lab to the fetch the pain potions, Severus cast his patronus and asked it to go fetch Dumbledore. Tonight was going to be infernally long.

Albus arrived after sometime, Hermione had dozed off and woken up again. This time she told Severus that Aragog was currently guarding the transfigured Umbridge who, for the time being, resembled moss and was stuffed nicely in a jar. Severus allowed himself a snort at that.

"Headmaster." Severus greeted curtly, opening his door for the older man.

"Severus. I hear you nearly escaped unscathed. How is she?"

"In and out. The bleeding hasn't stopped entirely yet."

"And how are you?" Albus looked at him purposefully over the rim of his half-moon spectacles.

Severus ignored him and led him through the entryway to the living area. Hermione sat up, keeping the blanket clutched around her and smiled tightly at the headmaster.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore, sir."

"Hello, my dear. I hear you performed admirably."

Hermione frowned. "If that's what you'd call it." She looked closer at the headmaster who appeared worse for wear. "What happened?"

"Had a little run in with Voldemort. Nothing to worry about." Hermione didn't believe him, of course but knew better than to pry. "I hear you have an unusual talent for being able to walk into animal minds as well as human."

"Maybe. Mostly I've been dreaming it so far but I've been right."

Albus nodded as if this were all normal. "That's how it starts, as I understand, first in dreams. And when it does happen when you are awake, you have no control. Of course you can then teach yourself control. It can be really quite magnificent."

"Sorry sir, but what are you talking about?"

"The Sight of Cerridwen."