With sudden, sickening clarity, a few things about the previous night made terrible sense to Severus Snape. The Bloody Baron had dropped in unexpectedly around midnight while Severus was grading those woeful exams, to let him know that Draco was rather late in coming back from rounds. At first, Snape wasn't terribly concerned, but asked the Baron to inform him when Malfoy was back. He didn't hear from the Baron until 2:30 in the morning, and had resolved to take a few points off the boy for not setting a better example. It was the last day of the year, but not a good time to let your guard down.

"When was she last seen, Headmaster?" All of his sour temper melted away in concern for the girl…er…the situation, he reminded himself. Harry noticed the change in Snape's demeanor, but said nothing.

"The Fat Lady reported her returning to Gryffindor Tower at 2:30, and she was last seen on the map – you know, the map Harry has that was created by his father and friends – at 3 am, leaving the grounds and entering Hogsmeade. The trail has been cold since."

"She and Draco normally finish late night rounds at 10:30. Where had she been those four hours? Did anyone speak to her? Why didn't the blasted Fat Lady report her missing before that?"

"The Fat Lady isn't to blame, Severus. She went to sleep early since all the students were inside celebrating, poor dear, and was awakened by Miss Granger's early morning return. By the time Minerva was alerted, Hermione was gone. Harry went after her, but came back empty handed. You know the girl is capable of Apparating, among other things. She does not wish to be found."

"This is a dangerous world to be out alone in, like this." Snape was seething. When he got his hands on Malfoy, the boy was going to wish he was out in the world alone and away from the wrath of the Great Snake of Slytherin.

"Well, naturally these children are on the cusp of becoming adults, and they're going out into this world well prepared, I trust," Albus said. "However, at this moment, Miss Granger still is in our care, and her disappearance is our problem. I will alert her parents now, but I wanted to speak to the Malfoy boy first before I do anything else. Perhaps he may have a clue why she left, as he was undoubtedly the last person to see her."

"Oh, I have no doubt. You see, Malfoy also returned at 2:30 to the Slytherin dormitories. The Bloody Baron told me."

There were shocked gasps and Ron jumped up. "That no-good, dirty, rotten Malfoy. I am so going to kill that bastard."

"Oh, calm down, Ron," Harry said. "For all we know the two of them are having an illicit love affair and stayed out late, right?" He knew that would upset Ron, but it was true that they hadn't talked to Hermione much in the previous weeks as they'd all been cramming for exams and writing papers. Maybe she'd fallen in love with the awful git. Who knew?

"I don't think so," Minerva said wearily. "The Fat Lady reported that Hermione had clearly been crying, she seemed to be somewhat bent over as if in pain, and that she was sure she saw a bruise on her cheek. I think there is a possibility our Miss Granger has met with some foul play." She gave a very pointed look at Severus, who turned and stalked out of the room.

*~*

Hermione smiled, and kneeled at the ancient woman's feet. She looked apprehensively up at the wizened face holding a rosary above her head. "Sister Mary Rebecca, arise. You are now protected by the Sisters of the Order of Benevolent Light, and will be one with us wherever you go. May your sins be forgiven and your wounds healed, in the names of the Father of Creation, the Son of God, and the eternal Holy Spirit. Come with us and do God's work." As she made her way to the Mother Superior's rooms, Hermione's smile grew somewhat pained as she remembered the events of the previous night. "Sister Mary Rebecca, today I would like to assign you to substitute for the ailing Sister Susanne in the nursery-age class at our school, before you get settled in and we find a permanent place for you. I know with your education you will do fine, and no one needs to know further what that education entails. Welcome."

She had known when she arrived on the steps of the convent that several of the nuns were witches who had renounced the wizarding world. Pays to keep up on your reading in the Restricted Section, she mused to herself. It was a real honest-to-God Catholic convent, and most of the nuns weren't even the least bit aware of the witches in their midst. The elderly but keenly sharp Mother Superior was not a witch herself, but was well aware that her order attracted disaffected witches from time to time that had been hurt in some way by the world they left behind. She offered sanctuary and a chance for these women to live in anonymity within the convent's walls. Every once in a while, someone came looking for a witch who had disappeared. The Mother Superior's right hand, Sister Sylvia Sickle, always managed to put a memory charm on them and send them on their way before they found what they were after. In fair exchange for providing a safe place for these bright and disaffected witches, the Mother Superior's school was renowned for its top-notch educational opportunities in a very poor region of Ireland. The witches that renounced the wizarding world were often among the brightest women she'd ever known, and were the ones who chafed under the male dominance that seemed rampant in their society. A "miracle", like a simple crop circle, now and then kept everyone in the region in need of the nuns' guidance, the Irish Ministry of Magic looked the other way, and no one was the wiser.

*~*

Severus Snape had Draco Malfoy pinned against the Slytherin Common Room wall, his eyes glittering dangerously as he whispered in his face. "What did you do to Granger, you stupid young fool?"

"Nothing she didn't deserve…or want, very deep down. It was delicious." Draco sneered and stared right into Snape's eyes. "You don't frighten me, Snape. I have graduated, or haven't you forgotten? You'll be standing next to me in the circle in a week. What do you care what happened to the Mudblood whore, anyway? Did you want a turn? She's rather susceptible to pain as a motivator…"

"I care, you idiot, because if I don't care it will create suspicion with Dumbledore. What the hell is the matter with you? You know how important it is that I stay close to that old fool, and now you've put me in the position of defending that blasted Granger's Gryffindor honor. How could you be so stupid? Couldn't you have waited one more day and controlled your baser urges?" Snape spat out these words that mostly couldn't have been further from the real truth, but were quite necessary to keep up the charade that he was a brilliantly loyal Death Eater just waiting for the right time to being Dumbledore's head on a platter to Voldemort. It was all too easy to put Malfoy in his place for the crime in this way, but he really wanted to kill him where he stood for attacking Granger. He was sure the boy had followed in his disgusting rapist father's footsteps, and the thought of it happening to that fairly annoying, but extremely bright girl – no, woman – who had attended his classes since her childhood bothered him enormously. Probably too much, if he had cared to examine it closely.

"I went to great lengths to get you named Head Boy, and you have put me in a terrible position. Dumbledore will ask questions, and I won't be able to protect you."

The smile on Draco's face faltered, and he said, "My father will protect me if you're too weak. So I raped a Mudblood. It's nothing he…or you, for that matter…haven't done in the past. I've learned from the masters."

"It has nothing to do with weakness, you imbecile. Your father will say the same thing. What you did, you should never have done when you could have been held accountable by Dumbledore, by the sodding Ministry. Idiot, idiot boy. You'll see. Your father cannot help you now."

The last bit of color drained from Malfoy's face. "It won't matter what Dumbledore does," Malfoy said a little too loudly, as if he could muster bravado from the depths. "I will be a Death Eater in a week's time and do this sort of thing every day of the week."

"Your timing may have prevented you from even joining the ranks of the Death Eaters, you insufferably stupid twit. If you're sitting in a cell at Azkaban with a rape sentence, you certainly won't be next to you friends Crabbe and Goyle in line waiting to receive the Mark." He allowed his words to sink in, reveling in the terror in the boy's eyes. Then he released Draco and headed for the door. Wild-eyed, Draco had no one to turn to and fled up the stairs to his dormitory to pack. He couldn't wait to get away. Just one more day.