Hermoine jumped as she felt someone's breath across her ear.
Jumping and turning, she saw Professor Snape standing barely five inches away. "H-hello sir, how are you?"
"Oh, I am quite well Ms. Granger; I've been looking for you all day. Dumbledore became aware of your . . . situation and sent me to fetch you. I will take this moment to point out that I do not appreciate playing fetch with errant Gryffindors, particularly those who wander into places that they have no right being in, Ms Granger." Snape murmured quite sharply in Hermione's ear.
Standing straight once again, and giving her package a glance, eyes widening at the title on the packaging, 'Desdemona's Robes and Accessories', a prominent Knockturn shop recently specializing in robes for those in the deatheater circles, and rarely acknowledging any other business.
"You're things have already been gathered from your room at the Leaky Cauldron, and moved into your Gryffindor tower room. Now if we could be on our way?"
Nodding Hermione quietly followed Snape, wondering how she was going to get out tomorrow night for the meeting. She certainly couldn't explain to Dumbledore why she needed to leave Hogwarts at a late hour and head for Malfoy Mansion. This certainly was a kink.
While Hermione was working out her issues in her head, Severus was trying to figure out the Gryffindor at his side. By the presence of the new robe, he would suspect she were going to the revel tomorrow night, but his knowledge of who she was and what house she resided in conflicted very greatly with these thoughts.
Hermione looked up questioningly as Snape came to a dead halt in front of a sign that looked oddly familiar and similar to a muggle bus stop sign. Sure enough, as Snape raised his wand a rather loud bus pulled up to the stop.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
"Hogsmead." Came Snape's sharp reply, stepping on the bus and pulling Hermione with him.
Moving to a seat towards the middle the pair sat in a strained silence.
Needing something to do Hermione reached to her side and pulled her purse out from under her package, unzipping it she began her search for a pack of gum, she glanced up at her temporary escort to see him staring into her purse, searching around for what he was looking at she quickly shut the purse when she spied the red tube with Voldemort's crest on it lying close enough to the top that she was sure that was what Snape was focusing on.
Glancing up at him nervously, she watched him narrow his eyes and open his mouth to say something, fortunately for Hermione the bus came to a lurching and squealing/banging stop at that moment and spared her from his words.
Climbing off the bus Severus Snape kept close watch on Hermione Granger, there was no doubt now, she was attending the meeting tomorrow night. The air tube in her bag was the twin to one he had received nearly twenty years ago. He knew, that while the girl could be annoying, she was one of the good guys. And he couldn't imagine her turning. He hated to think that he had so badly judged one of his students. Maybe the whole time he was harassing her he should have also added some positive reinforcements.
People anymore were talking about several key subjects: Harry Potter, the boy who lived and Hermione Granger, the girl who was acclaimed to be the smartest witch in a century, and in some circles was acclaimed to be the key to out-planning Voldemort. Nearing Hogwarts, the bus having stopped outside the wizarding town, Snape broke his cold revere and stopped Hermione.
"Ms Granger, before you report to the Headmaster, I would like to have a conversation with you in my office." He stated as gently as he could.
Hermione jumped at the voice after a long silence. "Yes sir." She replied quickly, following Snape in their previous silence. Severus considering what to say to the girl, and Hermione considering how caught she was and how much she would have to tell Snape to continue with her activities.
As they entered the castle, and headed to the dungeons, Hermione came to a conclusion, she was going to have to out Slytherin the Head of Slytherin.