A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! My birthday was this week and the parties kept me away =^^= here you all go! Enjoy!

His house at Spinners End was cold and dark. Stepping through the fireplace, even he felt unwanted as desolate as the room felt. He waved his hand, illuminating the candles that hung from the ceiling and the few that were placed along the wall. It added light, but he could not tell if Harry had arrived. His eyes narrowed, annoyance beginning to fill deep inside him. He could be at the cabin, still lost in a maze of blankets, arms and legs. He wanted to go back, but was also reminded of the note that was still clutched in his hand of why he was there. The better part of an hour had gone by, and with no sign of Harry showing up, he had gladly taken a handful of floo powder and directed the flames to take him to Harry's residence. Stepping through, he was greeted by Ginny, who had been curled up on the couch under a thick quilt, her face was the only part of her visible and she stared at him blankly as he approached.

"Where's Potter?" Snape asked, searching the room. Ginny only blinked and looked back into the fireplace. He sighed, then moved to the hallway, finding himself at the bottom of the stairs.

"Potter!" He yelled, listened for a moment, then proceeded to walk up. He gripped the banister tightly with one hand, his feet lifting slowly. Harry appeared at the top of the stairs and greeted him with a shocked and crooked smile.

"Professor! Quite a surprise to see you here." He said.

"Surprised to see me?" Snape scoffed. "Did you forget that you wanted to meet me?"

"I wanted to meet you?" Harry asked, drawing his head back and pushing his eyebrows together. "I'm sorry Professor, but I'm a little confused."

Snape withdrew the note from his pocket and handed it to him. Harry took it and read it. His eyes squinting so tightly behind his glasses, Snape wondered if he could even see it.

"I didn't write this." Harry stated, glancing up from the note to look at Snape who was standing beside him now. "What is it about? Why is Umbridge involved? I thought Selwyn had died in the war, we haven't been able to find him or have heard anything about him since then. Have you been to the Burrow?"

"No, I assure you, you did write it." Snape had a look on his face like he was eating a sour candy. His voice was soft, almost hopeless as he spoke, and the hand he placed on Harry's shoulder did nothing to comfort either of them.

"How was Paris, Harry?" Snape asked, delicately.

"Paris?" Harry shrugged Snape's hand off him. "I haven't been to Paris."

Snape's face fell. Harry did not remember. Something had been done to have removed his memory and for the most part did not know how to explain to Harry of the past few weeks without him sounding like a fool.

"Have you spoken with Weasley at all?" Snape asked and Harry shook his head.

"I haven't been able to reach him or Hermione all day."

Hermione.

Snape paled, the thought just hitting him hard and even knocked him back into the wall as the thought deepened. He had left her alone at the cabin. With Harry's memory gone, this seemed nothing more than only a delightful mishap for whoever sent the owl; it removed him from the picture, it gave them a way to get to Hermione. They were protected enough as long as they didn't use magic, but there was a chance, a small one, that owls could be tracked - and it seemed he did judging by Harry's cluelessness - the owl that delivered the letter to him that morning had been watched.

"Professor?" Harry asked, now watching Snape carefully, almost worriedly. Snape shook his head slightly, regarding Harry for only a second.

"I must go." He said. "If you hear anything from Weasley or Hermione, let me know." And popped out of there before another second could pass.

...

Snape appeared outside the cabin, hidden by a thick tree and pulled his wand. He searched his surroundings, halfway expecting to be ambushed the moment he arrived, but not allowing himself to relax when he noticed the area was clear. He eyed the cabin, which looked just like he left it; none of it had been destroyed or burned. The letter from Harry had mentioned the Burrow having been cursed by a house elf, and knew there was a good possibility that if anyone had found their hiding place, had been subjected to the same house elf treatment, but also knew he couldn't just stand outside the whole time watching. He gripped his wand tighter, stood a little straighter and approached the front door.

Entering the cabin, he remained quiet, listening to any signs of struggle. He closed the door quietly, cleared the front rooms and almost blasted a portrait off the wall when the sleeping form of an old lady woke unexpectedly from her rocking chair and shuffled out of the frame. He made his way to the bedroom where Hermione had stood with her back to him, facing the bed. He softened considerably seeing her, and allowed himself to stand there for a moment just to watch her. She jumped upon turning and seeing him, a hand going straight to her chest.

"You gave me a fright!" She admitted, though had refused to look in his eyes. "I didn't hear you come in. How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to plan our whole night." Snape purred, allowing a mischievous smile to cross his face and he pressed forward, taking her into his arms. He could feel her begin to relax into him, but then she had stiffened gently, pushing herself out of his arms, and remained silent. This small action had confused him enough to remember Harry's memory loss. He gripped his wand a bit tighter as she returned to the bed.

"Harry doesn't remember anything." He told her. "It's like he's been pulled into whatever is charming the others."

"Or it could be a confundus charm." Harry said, whispering it so low, Snape had to step closer to hear her. She paused in what she was doing as Snape approached behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and kissed her shoulder as he peered over it. She was stuffing clothes into a bag.

"Packing for a trip?" He asked, letting his lips brush against her temple. Being close to her did things to him and he hated himself for not having the power to stop. He let his hand brush her hair, glancing across the back of her neck, his fingers making little, slow circles as they moved to her shoulder.

"Severus, I-" Hermione began to speak.

"-I think that's the lot 'Mione." Ron has cut her off, coming out of the bathroom holding a smaller plastic bag. He had been looking down inside of it, until noticing Snape's presence as he rubbed her shoulders, and grew red in the face though he didn't say much. Snape saw Ron, felt his blood pressure begin to rise, and had protectively stepped in front of Hermione, keeping her out of view from Ron.

"I'm returning with Ronald." Hermione said, Snape spun around to face her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He could see tears building up in her eyes that she blinked away ferociously.

"I don't understand." Snape whispered, shaking his head slightly as she turned around again.

"I appreciate all you have done for me, I really have, but-" she turned and looked at him again, stepping outside of Snape's protective boundary and looked at Ron. He gave her a slight nod, sent a glare to Snape, then stepped out of the room to give them some privacy.

"You'll be making a mistake." He spoke, concerned, and reached out for her. She didn't allow him to touch her, pulling out of his reach as gently as she could.

"He told me of what happened in Paris, that he had been captured by people and had been forced to do all those things."

"That may be the truth, Hermione, but you shouldn't trust him." Snape said, shaking his head. She was still refusing to look and him and had let out a deep breath on her own.

"He's promised he wouldn't hurt me anymore. He says the spell has been lifted from him and as long as we're together, everyone will be safe."

"You of all people should know not to believe it!" Snape said. He stepped forward again, this time forcibly grabbing Hermione's hands in his. "Look at me." He said. Her eyes stayed down. He squeezed her hands, enough to gain her attention and the moment eye contact had been made, he slipped into her mind.

Hermione had stepped out of the shower, drying herself off with a towel when a loud pop had drawn her attention from the living room. She wrapped the towel around herself tightly, and had paused when she reached the living room. Ron had been there, standing still, his hands bunched together and a guilty look on his face. At first she had been frightened, backing slowly away, her hands raising in habit to protect herself, but Ron had not advanced.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I've come to apologize." He chanced a glance up to look and her and when he saw Hermione shrinking away, he collapsed. "Whatever I've done, I'm sorry. That wasn't me, I wasn't myself." He was speaking quickly. "All I know is that I've been under some kind of curse that made me act in whatever way caused you to run."

"I can't forgive you on this, Ron." She said, shaking her head and lowering her hands. "How can I trust you?"

Ron gave a small nod. "I know you can't, but you have to try."

Hermione layered her arms over herself, hugging herself and watched Ron on the ground. When he shifted, her arms were back up as if trying to hold him away.

"Why did they let you go?" She asked.

"I don't know." Ron shook his head, "all I can remember, really, is that Harry showed up and that I was being released."

"No. No, that doesn't make sense." Hermione shook her head.

"I need you back, Hermione." Ron said, sounding strained. "We need to be together again to stay safe."

"I need you out of my life to stay safe." Hermione said directly, her eyes widening as she read over the words she seemed to say too quickly for her to stop, then found herself retreating into the bedroom, closing the door behind her and locking it. Ron spoke from the other side.

"This s just as hard for me to do as it is for you to see." He said. "If you can't forgive me, fine. I understand. But I need you to return with me."

Hermione rested her head on the door.

"Why?"

"They promised me as long as we're together, they wouldn't harm anyone else."

Snape felt his mind pinch, as if a sudden sharp migraine had taken him and shoved him from her memory. When his vision returned and the pain subsided, he was looking at Hermionr who was angrily glaring at him.

"This is hard enough to do without you snooping around my thoughts." She said.

"Well you weren't being very open." He lowered his forehead a little. "Don't go with him." He pleaded. "Please."

"I don't want to." She admitted. "But I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Then stay here. If all you need to be is together, then stay here."

"We would if we could." Ron said appearing in the doorway. Snape spun around, he had his wand drawn and Ron tensed up, his whole body growing rigid.

"I could make you." Snape seethed. Ron was still rigid, his nostrils flaring every now and again as he looked from the wand to Snape, shakily he withdrew his own.

"I-I'm sure you could." Ron said, his actions proving to be more confident than his words. Snape would even say he appeared more like a puppet than a man trying to stand up for what he wanted, and given te position he was in, wouldn't press it far aside they maybe Ron wasn't acting exactly on his own accord.

"Please." Hermione stepped next to Snape, she put a hand gently on his arm and pressed it down, slowly. "Please stop."

Snape looked at Hermione, her eyes pleading with him to not start something. Against his own judgement, he allowed her to stop him. She had the bag over her shoulder and had turned from him, joining Ron at his side, who still had his wand raised. Snape felt helpless, watching as the second woman he had ever cared about, linked arms with another man. Hermione looked at him, something hidden behind the silence she took on. He could feel that she wanted to tell him something, a secret of some sort she wanted him to know, but had not the time to ask him before Ron secured her arm and disappeared with a loud 'pop.'