Okay I am finally back! (Again!) The breaks didn't work in this chapter so I added dashes hope they work! Also sorry for the mistakes but I NEED A BETA! Anyone?

Thanks to

Natsuyori and Sarah!

Alto-saxophonist35 and Lunchbox!

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Monday came far to soon for Hermiones liking. She found herself sitting between Severus and Madam Houch at the sorting feast. Tomorrow after the children had had a good nights sleep she would begin helping Severus in the classroom. She wasn't sure how she would do but she planned to make the best of it.

"Zalius, Samantha!" McGonagall called out. The last of the students walked quickly up to the sorting hat

"Hufflepuff!"

And with that last name the sorting was over.

"I would like to welcome you to a new year here at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore began standing at the podium, "For those of you who are not new welcome back! All first years note that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch to remind you that many products are off limits you can find a list of those with him. I would also like to introduce to new members of the staff. Miss Hermione Granger!" At her name there was a loud cheer mostly coming from the older Gryffindors who had known her. Hermione stood blushing a little as she sat back down. "Yes, yes Miss Granger will be apprenticing with Professor Snape our current Potions master. I would also like to welcome Mister Draco Malfoy!" This time cheering came loudly from the Slytherin table. "Mister Malfoy will be apprenticing with Professor McGonagall. You will treat the two of them as if they were professors. I expect you to show them respect. Now as I am sure most of you have realized there are many older faces among you, and younger faces for that matter," he said winking at Emma, "We are all here seeking safety from the War. The new faces you see here are parents, siblings, relatives, friends, or Aurors. They will all be residing in the castle until further notice. I ask all students from this point forward to be in your dormitories by seven o'clock no later. Our visiting guests will also abide by these rules unless directed by me. Now, once again I welcome you all!" and with his speech complete Dumbledore waved his hand and food appeared.

"Are you nervous Hermione?" Minerva asked from the other side of Severus

Hermione looked at her and gave her a week smile

"I remember my first day, dear, I was actually late getting to my first class. It seems I had gotten lost looking for my own classroom which was down the hall from my quarters!"

Hermione chuckled finding it hard to believe that the stern woman had ever gotten lost let alone having been late. Vaguely she remembered a time when the Deputy Headmistress had threatened to turn Harry and Ron into a map and pocket watch.

The rest of the meal passed in normalcy until the desert that is. While Hermione was enjoying a conversation with Severus about their upcoming classes tomorrow the Great Hall doors were thrown open.

Dumbledore immediately stood and hurried towards the person sprinting towards the Head table.

The two whispered something to each other and Dumbledore nodded, "Prefects will now escort their houses to their dormitories. If our guests would please go to their own room at this time. Teachers please come with me." Without a further word to anybody Dumbledore hurried through a side door.

"Severus?" Hermione questioned

"I don't know… Go back down to our quarters, love, I'll be there shortly." He too stood and followed the others our the side door.

"Granger"

Hermione turned towards the only person left at the Head table, Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

"I figure we should at least be civil towards each other after all we were the best of friends. Don't you remember?"

Hermiones face turned red from anger, "Yes I remember how you and your twisted father raped my mind." She gritted out

He only smirked and stood up leaving a very mad Hermione behind

Once she was in control of her anger she too stood from the Head table and left the Great Hall.

As she passed through the door she felt something tug on her hair. Pulling out her wand she turned to face the person who had ripped out her hair. When she turned she found there was no one there.

Rubbing the back of her head she started down towards the dungeons. At the back of her mind she knew something was not right. She felt like she was being followed.

Turning once again she prepared to fight. Before she could even see who was following her a spell hit her and everything went black….

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"Zalius, Samantha!"

"Hufflpuff!"

Ron watched as the sorting finished, clapping politely with the rest of the hall. His eyes turned towards the girl sitting at the Head table after Dumbledores speech was complete. She looked….happy. How could she be happy? He could not understand it. Something was not right. Hermione in love with Snape? No, that wasn't possible.

That was why he was setting his plan in action tonight. He smiled wistfully as he ate his food only looking up when a man ran through the Great Hall doors.

"….Teachers please come with me."

Ron watched as the rest of the people in the Great Hall made their way out.

"Ron are you coming?" Harry asked from beside him

"No, I'll be in the room later you go ahead."

Harry gave him a strange look, "Ron you're awfully pale. Are you alright? I know that things haven't been easy for you since what Hermione said….but I thought it would all turn out okay? You know?"

Ron nodded distractedly watching Hermione with his eyes. Harry followed his gaze. This time gripping his arm Harry turned him to face him. "Ron I know you love her. But you are acting like a stalker."

Ron let out a high-pitched laugh. He could feel beads of sweet starting to form on his brow. Harry could know…. could he?

"I'm fine Harry I just need sometime to be alone before I go back to the room."

Harry let his hand drop from Ron's arm, "You're sure you'll be all right?"

"Of course"

Reluctantly Harry nodded and left.

Ron let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and turned back to look at Hermione.

Quickly muttering a concealing charm he stepped back and waited.

"…twisted father raped my mind!"

Ron saw Draco smirk and then watched him make his way out of the Hall.

They were alone.

He waited until Hermione was close enough and then reached out and grabbed some of her hair. She let out a gasp and turned towards him. Luckily she could not see him and left. Ron stood there clutching a few strands of Hermiones hair in his hand.

Smiling broadly he heading in the opposite direction from Hermione.

His plan would be complete within hours. Ducking into the closest closet he pulled out the bottle of pollyjuice from inside his robes. He had bought it that morning before the students had started pouring in. He knew since it was pre-made and a little old that it would probably not last long. But he had decided that buying a bottle from the apothecary was better than waiting a month to brew his own.

He added Hermiones hair and after checking to see that no one was there snuck back into the Great Hall. He would have to wait here until the time came for him to drink the concoction.

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"I have just been informed that Voldemort will be here in the next few days. He is planning a major attack on Hogwarts. It seems the vampires are joining him in the last battle. They also have the forces of the Dementors and most of the giants. The ministry is sending as many Aruors here as they can. I want you all to keep this quiet. No one, especially the students, are to know that the War will be at our doorstep in the next few days. Only those that must be informed will be. We have to devise a plan to protect our students. That is why we are here, for now," Dumbledore ended looking very grave.

"The room of requirements," Remus said, having just entered the room, "James, Sirius, and I used to go there and duel. It would hold up against anything. But there will have to be teachers or Auruors to calm the students and keep them inside."

"Very well," We will be moving the students there in the morning after their classes are done. They need not be concerned till then. Severus have you gotten any work done on that potion?"

"I haven't been able to make much progress," Severus said with a scowl

"I see. We will be holding another meeting tomorrow at lunchtime to prepare. I'll make an announcement during dinnertime that the War is upon us. As for tomorrows classes I wish you all luck and I hope that the students will have a good day. I hope it will not be their last joyful day."

Severus scowled as he left the meeting. After the news that the War was coming sooner then expected he had lost the semi-good mood he had been in. Now as he made his way out of the Great Hall he was agitated. He had to fix that potion tonight. What should have been a years worth of research and brewing to find the correct antidote was turning into a rushed one-week affair. How in the world did they expect him to ever have it ready by tomorrow night?

As he turned the corner that would lead him down to the dungeons he almost missed the brown haired witch that was standing off to the side. Upon catching sight of her he stopped in his tracks.

"Hermione? What are you still doing up here?" he asked confused as to why she had not gone to wait on him as he had thought she would.

"I was waiting on you Sn-Severus" she said in a very high pitched voice

Severus raised an eyebrow. What on earth was wrong with her voice? And what was she wearing?

"You've changed your clothes?"

She blushed, "I spilt uhh… something on them"

Severs frowned, this was not normal, "What is wrong with you?" he asked crossing his arms

"Nothing, I was just waiting to ahh.. to see if you would walk with me?"

Severus brow furrowed even more as he watched her. She was definitely off.

"Where will you have us walk?"

"Outside! By the lake! Come Severus I will race you there!"

Before he could say another would she took off running out the front door leaving behind a very puzzled Severus. He reluctantly followed wondering if she had been slipped a potion.

By the time he reached her she was breathing deeply leaning against a tree

"She is not made for running…" he heard her mumble.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up at him her eyes cold, "I think we need to brake apart Snape"

Severus only raised an eyebrow his hand inching towards his wand. This was definitely not his Hermione.

"Oh," was his minimal reply

"Yes, it' over"

At this point his hand was on his wand. In one fluid movement he pulled it out and pointed it at the person in front of him

"Where is Hermione?" he growled

"I don't know what you're talking about" she replied her voice going into another higher pitch.

"Tell me who you are or I'll force you to tell," he growled again stepping towards the imposter

"You would do that to her! I knew it! You lying coward you don't care a thing about her!" the person said the voice going into a deeper manlier sounding voice.

Severus clenched his jaw as he advanced on the 'girl' who was now backed up against a tree. His wand at her throat, "Weasley," he spat making the boy flinch.

"Get off!" he bellowed glaring daggers at the older man but not daring to move.

"How did you get a hold of her hair?"

"None of your business"

"Do you really thing that is the wise thing to say Weasley?" he asked pressing his wand deeper into his throat. By now he could see that the boy was returning to his normal form. Hermiones brown locks were becoming shorter and turning to a reddish color.

"I did not harm my friend if that is what you mean!"

"You are no friend of hers to impersonate her. Did you honestly think I would fall for that? I know her boy! Better than you probably ever could if you think she will not be angry about this betrayal."

"Duel me!" he yelled pushing the wand away from his throat and stepping closer until they were nose to nose

"Duel me for Hermione!"

Severus looked at him with disgust, "She is not an object boy!"

Ron's faced turned even redder, "If you will not duel me then I will be forced to wish you had!"

Severus scoffed, "Who do you think you are boy? You are dealing with an ex-death eater. Do you truly think I would ever lose to the likes of you? I could wipe the floor with you a hundred times over!"

"PROVE IT!"

"Enough of these childish games! If you ever try and come near Hermione again you will wish Voldemort had you for what I will do to you!"

Severus turned and started off towards the castle

"IMPEDI-"

Severus whirled around eyes blazing. With a flick of his wand Ronald Weasley was upside down. He added to that curse another and had the boy go almost twenty feet up in the air still upside down.

"How dare you! Never cast a curse while the others back is turned!" he seethed

Without another world he left the boy twenty feet in the air and strode off into the castle. For all he cared he could spend the night like that. The nerve of that idiotic boy! Thinking he had any right to impersonate Hermione! To try and curse him! That boy would pay!

Severus stormed into his quarters. In his anger he did not notice that a certain bushy haired female was nowhere to be found…

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The morning found Severus sitting at the Head table still seething from the nights occurrence.

He saw to his delight that the Weasley boy was not in the Great Hall this morning. He hoped that he was still outside and upside down.

"Severus would you happen to know where Mister Weasley is?" Dumbledore asked

"Why would I know where the dolt is?" he replied cheerfully

Dumbledore only shook his head sighing

On the other side of Severus Draco sat sulking

"I have to spend all day with McGonagall?" he whined sighing heavily, "She was bad enough as a teacher now I have to listen to the old bat again!"

"Mr. Malfoy!"

Draco turned towards the older woman who now stood over him

"Hello Professor McGonagall," he replied cheerfully, "I simply can not wait till classes start!"

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Severus found himself pacing after his first class. Hermione had never shown up. Where could she be? He had thought she was excited that she would be teaching along side him, nervous but excited none the less. Perhaps she had went to see Poppy? Yes that was it.

Unfortunately at that moment his second class started trickling in and he had no opportunity to check on Hermiones whereabouts.

It was lunch before he was able to search for the school nurse to see if Hermione had been with her. When he arrived at the meeting he approached her.

"Have you seen Hermione?"

"No I have not. She is not with you?"

"No," turning he made his way over to Dumbledore, "Hermione is missing"

Dumbledore frowned, "Severus I am afraid that at this moment in time nothing can be done. Hermione can take care of herself for now. We must prepare before tonight. I am canceling classes for the rest of the afternoon. The students must be moved now. Voldemort is closer than ever. They have chosen to travel in a large mass together because the giants, dementors, and vampires cannot apparate. The lake is almost frozen Severus the mist is thicker. The Dementors are closer. Hermione will have to wait for the time being, as much as it hurts for me to say that."

Severus glowered at Dumbledore, "You will sacrifice her life?" he asked barely above a whisper

"Severus! I care greatly about Miss Granger. But we cannot do a thing now! She is most likely only a few miles away from Hogwarts with Aiden. Do not worry. Hermione is a powerful witch she can hold her own."

Without another word he turned away.

Severus glared at his back. If he would not help him find her he would find her himself! He would not let her stay in the hands of that twisted monster a moment longer!

He stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.

When he reached the front doors he found they would not open.

"I am sorry Severus," an old voice whisper behind him

He turned betrayed eyes on Albus Dumbledore, "You shall let her die!"

"Severus I cannot let you go. When the time is right you will see her again."

"She could die Albus! Are you willing to let that hang over your head knowing you let an innocent die!"

Dumbledore seemed to stand taller as he responded, "If it means winning this War Severus. Do not let your love blind you! Hermione will be on the War front soon enough. We will get her back then not a moment sooner!"

Again Dumbledore turned away from him, "Do not try and leave Severus for I shall know."

Dumbledore left leaving behind a man who felt betrayed. A man who felt that he had somehow just lost everything.

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Again sorry for the long wait blame sickness or whatever. But I'm back on track and I know where this is going again. I will update most likely…. Friday? Or so. Thanks Read and review!