A/N: hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in ages, but busy busy busy! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, they make me more confident and the more reviews I get, the more I want to write! You all inspire me!
Chapter 16
The deatheaters took off for Voldemort's lair, Snape still carrying the unconscious Hermione.
Malfoy trudged alongside Snape, staring at his feet, wondering what awful plan and use the dark lord could possibly have for Hermione. He cast a glance over at Harry and Ron, who also were unconscious and looked a little roughed up, then looked forlornly back down at his shoes. How were they ever going to get out of this?
Just then, another deatheater came up alongside Snape and Malfoy. The man leered at Hermione then without taking his eyes off her for a moment, said "would you like me to take her for a bit Severus? I'm sure your arms must be tired." It was apparent that the man was drooling as he suggested this, Malfoy saw the drool himself!
Snape, noticing his fellow deatheaters manner, subconsciously held Hermione closer. "That won't be necessary, Goyle, but thank you for your 'kind' offer." He replied.
"Ah, I see! Keeping her all for yourself!" Goyle Sr said. "I don't blame you!"
Malfoy snorted in disgust. This drew Goyle Sr's attention.
"What have you to say young Malfoy?" he asked.
Malfoy couldn't reply due to the gag in his mouth, but even if he could he would have ignored Goyle's father.
"And to think!" Goyle Sr went on mockingly "If you hadn't betrayed us all, the dark lord probably would have let you have your fun with this delectable little witch!"
Malfoy's fists were balled behind his back. How dare this oaf talk about Hermione like she was a tasty piece of meat?!
Goyle Sr reached over and took off the gag that silenced Malfoy. "What must your father think of you?" he pressed.
Finally free of his gag, Malfoy glared at Goyle sr. "I don't care!" he snarled.
Goyle sr merely snorted with disdain then turned to Snape. "Are you sure you don't want me to 'carry her' for a while Severus?"
Snape kept his eyes looking ahead. "Quite sure, thank you!" he almost snapped.
"Oh, very well!" Goyle Sr sighed "Be a party pooper!"
With that said, he walked off and joined another deatheater, and began talking about how Snape was such a bad sport and a wet blanket to boot!
When he was gone, Snape, without looking at Malfoy said "You'd better keep quiet, Draco."
"You heard what he was suggesting!" Malfoy protested as quietly as he could. He didn't want to be gagged again, it was just too undignified!
"Yes I heard!" Snape snapped "But I can't blow my cover, Mr Malfoy!"
Malfoy practically pouted and folded his arms crossly. "Well, any ideas as to how to get us out of this?"
Snape sighed heavily "Not yet, but just give me time!"
Malfoy pretended to look thoughtful "Erm, excuse me professor, but time isn't exactly on our side right now!"
Snape closed his eyes as if calling upon every ounce of patience he had, which wasn't much. "Yes Mr Malfoy, I am aware of that!" he said quietly.
"So, what's the plan?" Malfoy asked.
Snape's patience ran out. "I DON'T BLOODY-WELL HAVE ONE, ALRIGHT!!!" He roared in Malfoy's face.
Malfoy's hair ruffled visibly in the breeze that Snape's roar caused, Malfoy raised his hands to smooth it back into place.
"Hey! Watch the hair!" He said, disgruntled.
At Snape's sudden outburst, several deatheaters stopped and looked at him and Malfoy.
"Have what? What don't you have?" one deatheater called.
Snape glared at Malfoy, who merely shrugged in response.
"Young Mr Malfoy was pestering me, asking if I have a girlfriend!" Snape called back. He hoped they would fall for it.
The deatheaters exchanged glances and then a few started laughing. This explanation seemed to satisfy them and thus, the journey continued.
As Malfoy resumed trudging alongside Snape, he sighed, shaking his head. "Nearly got us in trouble, Professor!"
Snape was practically shaking with anger. He clenched his jaw and glared ahead. If they lived through this, he was going to kill Malfoy!
He was about to say something rude to Malfoy, until he felt movement.
He looked down at Hermione and realized with dread that she was starting to wake up.
"Draco!" Snape whispered urgently.
"Hmmn?" Malfoy's vague response came.
"Look, boy, look!" Snape snapped in a hushed voice.
Malfoy looked at Snape then followed the potion Master's frantic gaze to Hermione, who was attempting to stretch as she yawned.
"What do we do?!!" Malfoy fretted, hopping from one foot to the other.
Snape had to think quickly. He dove behind a tree, pulling Malfoy with him, just as Hermione's eyes fluttered open.
As things came into focus and her mind cleared, Snape's deatheater mask swam into focus, promptly, Hermione opened her mouth and let out a scream that could wake the dead. Fortunately, Snape saw it coming and her scream only sounded for a split second before he clamped his hand over her mouth.
She struggled furiously to get free, thrashing about and clawing and her Potions Professor.
"Claws in you cat!" Snape said angrily as he tried to restrain her.
"Hermione, it's alright!" Malfoy said in a hushed tone, trying to calm her down and make her see that she was with friends.
"Calm down, Miss Granger!" Snape hissed "I'm not trying to hurt you, I'm trying to help you!"
Upon hearing these words, Hermione stopped struggling to look questioningly at Snape. "Professor?" She asked, confused.
Snape sighed. "Why do they always ask that?" he asked no-one in particular. "Yes, Miss Granger it's me, and Mr Malfoy is here too!" Snape informed her.
"Where am I? What's happened, and where are Harry and Ron!?" Hermione asked in one breath.
"In the forbidden forest, bound for Voldemorts castle, we lost the battle, and the deatheaters have got Harry and Ron too." Malfoy answered all three of her questions in one go.
Hermione's eyes widened. "What?!! Oh no..."
"Now don't panic!" Snape hushed. "Dumbledore knows what's going on, so hopefully he'll bail us out of here, but for now we just have to play along!"
Hermione looked confused. "Wait a minute, how come I don't remember –"
Snape interrupted. "I had to render you unconscious, you were yelling when I took you away from the battle. The plan was to get you back to the castle so that the dark lord wouldn't be able to use you for –"
Snape stopped talking abruptly when he heard a fellow deatheater approach.
He looked meaningfully at Hermione, who nodded and promptly feigned unconsciousness.
Malfoy caught on fast and did the same, landing unceremoniously sprawled across hermione.
The deatheater who had approached turned out to be Lucius Malfoy.
"Problems, Severus?" Lucius asked smoothly, observing Hermione on the ground and his betraying son sprawled across her.
Snape shook his head, and acted as if he was merely taking a break. "No, no problems Lucius. I just spotted some Ragwort weed, and remembered that I was out of the stuff, so I stopped to pick up more. It will save me having to come out here later to get it." Snape lied, picking some of the weeds and taking out a jar from his robes to put them in.
Lucius raised on perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Fair enough." He said shrugging. "What happened to Draco?" he asked gesturing at his son with his cane.
"I put him under the sleeping spell, he was asking too many personal questions." Snape replied.
Lucius was silent for a moment as he observed the two students on the ground. "It's such a pity that Draco betrayed us." He said thoughtfully "Although she is rather fetching, and even somewhat captivating, I can certainly see why the Dark Lord chose her." Lucius suddenly knelt down and stroked Hermione's face.
Hermione wanted nothing more that to slap this arrogant git and hex him into oblivion, but instead, she forced herself to remain still.
"Such beauty, concealing such dirty blood." Lucius said softly.
Snape was beginning to wonder if Lucius was going soft! He looked almost sad about the situation.
"Seems such a pity to waste it!" Lucius said with a shake of his head. He shifted his gaze to Malfoy, again shaking his head sadly. "My own son." He raised a hand and affectionately stroked Malfoy's hair. "Perhaps the dark lord will have mercy on him when he sees just why he made the decision that he did."
"He doesn't view betrayal too kindly." Snape reminded Lucius.
Lucius nodded, without taking his eyes off of his son "True, but he is also merciful. He has spared your life more than once, Severus."
Snape nodded. "indeed." He gazed at Hermione. He very much hoped that Dumbledore already had a plan in action to rescue them.
Lucius stood up, not taking his eyes off of the two students. "Why do you think Draco did what he did, Severus?" He asked suddenly.
Snape was taken off guard. He couldn't think of a lie, so he said precisely what he thought had taken place.
"I think, and bear in mind this is just my opinion, I think that Draco started off with his heart in the right place. He had planned this whole thing with luring Potter, weasley and Miss Granger out here, into the hands of the dark lord, but he merely got distracted and sidetracked on the way." Snape's eyes flicked to Hermione as he said the last part. "I don't think he was expecting his emotions to react to the trio the way that they did, especially towards Miss Granger here."
Lucius looked thoughtfull, pondering Snape's words. "Perhaps you are right. And as I said before, as pretty as Miss Granger is, who can blame him, I blame myself for not teaching him sufficiently in self control."
Snape remained silent. He didn't have a comment for that.
Lucius sighed. "Well, onward and outward." With that, he left and caught up with the others.
A/N: So! What do you think of this one? Let me know! REVIEW PLEASE!!!!! I BEG OF YOU!!!!!