Hermione woke in stages. She smelled the dying fire, and heard the silence of people still asleep. And she was warm and comfortable. Her eyes fluttered open softly. Then they opened wide.

Her arms were wrapped around Ron's waist, and his around hers, with one of her hands caught in his. Her head was cradled on his chest, and his head was resting on the top of hers. A light, butterfly feeling spread throughout her stomach. Should she move? Or should she stay? He seemed pretty comfortable.

"Hermione, are you awake?"

Hermione jumped up, waking Ron up and falling off the couch in the process. Oh, well, I guess that solves that question.

Ginny giggle half-heartedly, and helped Hermione to her feet. Ron yawned. "G'morning. Did we fall asleep on the couch?"

Ginny nodded, and managed a smile. "Yeah, it was kind of funny. You and Hermione were kinda curled into that corner of the couch, and I fell asleep on 'Mione's shoulder. Harry fell asleep on my stomach."

The all turned to look at Harry, who was still asleep and spread out on the couch. Ron poked him in the side. Harry snapped awake and fell of the couch reaching for his wand. He sat, blinking up at them, and said sleepily, "Huh?"

Luckily for Harry, Fred and George entered through the portrait hole, bearing food. "We thought you guys would rather stay in here and eat with us then go down and fight your way through breakfast with the rest of the school." George told them, handing over the food.

"So say thank you and enjoy." Fred added.

A chorus of 'thank you' sounded and the group dived into their food; eating required minimum thinking and even less strength.

The portrait door opened once more, this time emitting Bill. Ginny leaped up and ran to hug her older brother. Greetings were exchanged, and then they fell into silence again.

"You look like shit." Fred observed.

"Yeah," George noted, studying his brother. "Nasty hangover?"

Bill grinned feebly. "You have no idea."

The rest of the morning was spent with him telling them of his foggy adventure the night before and of waking up with a semi-stranger, of tossing her naked out the door, and of leaving the house bare-assed himself. They laughed and they discussed mindless things.

Easier sometimes just not to think.

When Professor McGonagall told them that their parents were waiting for them in the Headmasters office, the Weasley's left to work of the nightmare that had been pounding them all night. And Harry and Hermione sat, feeling helpless and useless, with nothing at all they could do to help.

So, they sat.thinking.

~*~

Severus didn't manage to keep his balance while carrying a woman who was all dead weight. But he could rest now, for a minute at least. They were safely at Hogwarts, and the sun was rising. He sat her down on a table; they were in the Potions dungeon. Good.

Stupid girl.

Her skin was white, making the shock of blood even more noticeable. Her lips were blue, and there was blood coating her mouth. Cuts and scrapes ran the length of her body as did bruises, but none as bad as the bruise that covered the entire left side of her face in a ugly purple swell. Her hair fell in limp curls over the table, and there was red blood mixing with the red of her hair. Her body was on the thin side, yes, from lack of food, surely. More angles then normally, but certainly curves as well, lovely curves, exposed by the clingy wet of her tank top and torn jeans. Severus shook his head and cursed under his breath. Blue eyes opened, clouded, then focused. She let loose a curse of her own, then a smug smile drifted over her features. Her voice was a horse rasp when she spoke, but even that was a relief. "Get these chains off me." She told him.

He sighed in frustration. "I told you I cant. Only He can release you, or his blood-"

"His blood must be spilled, yes, I know." She rolled her eyes. "It's his blood you see on my face, you stupid git."

Severus stared at her in shock. She winced and said, "I bit him!"

Now his jaw dropped, whether in astonishment or admiration he couldn't tell. "You . . .bit him . . .to make him bleed?"

She gave a weak nod and let her eyes drift shut. "Get these off me."

He unbound her, and stuffed the chains in his robes before grudgingly helping her to stand. She swayed once and he cursed. "Damnit women, you're in no condition to walk. You'll just have to wait to see them."

Her eyes went hard and dark, like the sea readying for war. "I damn well wont. I've waited seven years-"

"Eight."

"-to see my family, seven years hiding from the bastard-"

"Eight."

"-seven years only dreaming about being home-"

"Eight!"

"What on earth are you babbling on about!?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Eight years! You've been gone eight years not seven!"

Now her skin paled even more, if possible, and her eyes went to fog. "Eight." She stumbled away from him, swayed. "No . . .it wasn't yet five when . . .oh, god." She fell hard on her knees, trying to breath, and wishing the room would stop spinning.

Severus let loose on desperate curse and then picked her up effortlessly. He laid her on the table once more, hoping she wouldn't faint again. Although she would be so much easier to deal with.

"What's wrong with you now?" He snapped.

Her blue eyes searched his wildly. "When they caught me this last time. . .it hadn't yet been seven years . . .then they used that curse on me.and I . . .I passed out . . .when I woke up again, yesterday, they were dragging me to see Voldermort."

Severus stared down at her, shock and surprise written on his face. "You mean to tell me that you were unconscious . . .for a year?"

She was biting her bottom lip so hard that it bleed, but her eyes never left hers as she nodded tersely.

His black eyes narrowed slowly and a dark rage spread through his chest, hot and dangerous. His vision didn't blur, didn't haze, but rather just . . .twisted, so that instead of the pale glass eyed redhead, he saw horrible, painful deaths for the Death Eaters that he surrounded himself with in order to bring information to the light side.

"Severus?"

Then there was only Beth staring up at him with knowing eyes, placing a light hand on his arm.

Warmth seeped through him, flushing over his skin, over his heart. His head had gone light, and the colors seemed to blend into one, as a tingle of emotion went through him.

It disturbed him, this warmth. So he did the only thing he knew how; he ignored it. Completely and ruthlessly.

"Come. You need to go to the Hospital Wing, and rest. You can see your family tomorrow, when you're stronger."

"Excuse me?" She jerked her hand away, and pushed him backwards, so she would have the space needed to get off this damn table. The stupid little man! Did he seriously think she would go and sleep in the same building as her family without seeing them? Sure, she was a little shaky, and the room didn't seem to want to settle down, but she was perfectly fine.

Or at least she would be after she saw her family. Eight years. Bill would have a life of his own by now, married maybe, and Charlie . . .oh, god, Charlie. She had to see him; she needed to see him.

"I'm not going anywhere, except to see my family."

"Listen---"

"No, you listen, you stupid little man," One that had a good three inches on her frame of 5' 8", Beth noted as she got in his face. Quite a face . . . "I'll tear this place apart if I have to. It would be a lot easier on everyone involved if you would get your head out of your ass and take me to them." She waited a moment, partly to give him a choice, and partly to let the world come into focus again. When he did nothing, she glared. "Fine." She turned away, only to stop when he grabbed her arm.

"You are going nowhere!" Severus snapped.

Instead of blowing up like he thought she would, her eyes narrowed and glinted with a sort of merciless mischief. A slow, edgy grin spread across her face, making him think of wild pixies. "Watch me." She all but purred. She pulled her arm free and turned on her heel, strolling arrogantly to the door.

"Beth!" He called.

"Kiss my ass." She suggested mildly, and for good measure flipped him off.

Severus scrubbed his hands over his face, tired, confused and, damnit, aroused.

"Beth!" He said it quietly, wishing forcibly for patience. When she didn't stop, he growled out, damning patience, "I'll take you. There in Dumbledor's office, and you wont get in without me."

She just tossed a smile over her shoulder and opened the door for him with a mock bow. "Then lets get going. After you."

He snarled and stormed passed her. And missed the look of pain and frustration on her face when the earth decided to spin once more. She had it under control soon enough, and followed him down the stone hallways, humming cheerfully.

~*~

The Weasley's sat crammed together in Dumbledor's office. Mr. Weasley had his arms wrapped around tearful Mrs. Weasley and sobbing Ginny. His little girl. Fred and George sat in silence, meshed into a two-seater, their faces sober. Bill was sat on a couch, long legs sprawled, watching Ron pace the little room that was left. No one spoke. No one needed to.

The door opened, and everyone jumped. But it was only Dumbledor, and Professor McGonagall. Ginny and her mother retreated back to Mr. Weasley's arms, the twins went back to staring at the ceiling, and Bill went back to watching Ron. Ron, however, was not content to return to pacing. Just as he was about to say something, anything, the door opened a second time. It wasn't Charlie. It was Snape, who greeted them with a sneer, and Beth who just stood in the center of the room staring, as she was stared at. Then, with a cry from Molly, the Weasley's all jumbled together, in one giant hug and many tears.

Dumbledor watched with a smile, and McGonagall wept a bit herself. Severus just curled his lips back, in a smile or grimace, who knows?

"Oh, Beth, I've missed you so much!" Someone laughed giddily.

More happiness, more tears, more laughter. But finally, questions were asked.

"If you would just sit down, and take a breather," Dumbledor said merrily, his eyes twinkling. "I'm sure Beth only wants to tell this story once."

The light in Beth's eyes dimmed a bit, but she nodded. Then she glanced around the room, and found what she knew all along. Charlie wasn't there. "But . . ."

"Elizabeth, dear," McGonagall said gently, "Please tell us your story. You've been gone such a long time." Beth nodded once more. "Fine. But just listen. No interruptions." Everyone nodded his or her consent. And so she began.

"I had detention. A detention I never made it to." She gave a strangled laugh. Then calmed herself, knowing she had to get through this. She made one last desperate wish for Charlie. But she had gotten through the last seven---eight, if Snape was to be believed---nightmarish years without her twin, or anyone else for that matter. She would get through this too.

"I went to my room to change before detention. I walked in and suddenly this . . .pain tore through me . . .I thought it was the worse pain humanly possible. The next thing I knew, my wand was broken and I was on the floor, with three men holding me down. I kicked; hit, even bit . . . I fought as hard as I could. There were three of them . . .I can give you names." She said suddenly, with a look at Dumbledor. "I have names. Death Eater names." He gave her a nod and a smile of encouragement. "One of them, one that was there that day, was Lucius Malfoy. He was the one that . . . they used some sort of spell, of curse. It . . .my blood started pouring out from my pours, from my skin . . . I could feel . . ." No, Beth thought. She wasn't going to be able to give them details. Just the important stuff. The short version, she decided. "I passed out from blood loss, I guess. I woke up and there were dragging me through a forest. Not the Forbidden forest, but another one. I escaped. I called a storm, from inside me and it was just there. So I got away." She spoke to the memories now, and only them. "For the next three years, I lived in the shadows, hiding from them. It seemed they were always there, searching for me. In those three years, I was captured five more times, and they always used that curse. Each time I got away. But I couldn't hide in the dark anymore. By hiding away from the sunlight, I was withering away, and losing my own light. So ventured out. I traveled to Ireland. And sang for my meals. They didn't find me for the next year and a half. And then, suddenly, they were there, a dozen of them this time. They kept me under the blood curse. I passed out, just before my seventh year. And I woke up only a few hours ago." Beth didn't hear the gasp or the sob that met that statement. Her vision blurred and swam once more, but she hung on, and continued. "Ten of them dragged me, someplace underground. My clothes were wet, and my body hurt. I was weak, but I kept fighting. Then I was in front of Voldermort." Someone let out a vicious curse. "He said I was going to die. Then Auror's were there, and there was a battle. Severus told me that the chains that tied my hands wouldn't come free unless Voldermort unleashed me himself, or his blood was spilled. So I jumped him, and bit him. Then I was in pain. I woke up, here, in Hogwarts." She cleared her vision forcefully, making the room settle into place by sheer will. Glancing around the room of redheads she asked softly, almost in a whisper, "How long have I been gone?"

A deep voice answered, "Eight years."

Her knees went weak, and the room spun. But still she focused on one single redhead, and found she could finally rest.

Charlie, his voice rough with emotion walked forward. "Eight long fucking years." Then before she could so much as breath, she was swept off her feet and crushed against him.

Finally.