Hey everyone: thanks for being so patient. If I had the time to address you all individually, I swear I would, but it's 3:30 in the morning in Idaho, where I live, and I'm about ready to fall out of my seat I'm so tired.

I hope you liked the last, which I see many of you expressed that you did, and I hope that this chapter lives up to your expectations as well. Here you are…

"Now, now, Miss Granger, is that any way to treat your future husband?" Lucius asked, in a suave voice that made Hermione sick. Her hand shook, pointed right at his chest. She was shivering. "Albus, how wonderful to see you!" he said, in a loud, fake voice. In seconds, Hermione's wand was pointed between her eyes, dangerously. Albus didn't even have time to draw his wand, before it was pointed at him.

"You old fool. You can't stop me, no one can, and you can't stop him!" Lucius smirked. It vanished however, when he was grabbed from behind with Severus Snape's strong arm around his neck, pulling him back.

"Drop it or I'll kill you," he hissed, in a deadly voice.

"Y-you wouldn't dare, Severus," Lucius said, in a terrified voice.

"You want to find out, Lucius?" Severus asked, pressing his wand into Lucius' neck, painfully, making the blonde wince and drop the wand in his hand.

"Why the hell are you threatening one of my students? Don't you know that I do not tolerate such acts, especially from the likes of you?" Severus whispered. Hermione slowly backed away in fear and thankfulness. She was thankful that he had come, and saved her, but also afraid as she had never seen him look so deadly in all the time she had known him. He could be spiteful, mean, and grumpy, but she had never witnessed this. It more enthralled her actually then scared her, and that in itself was terrifying.

"Hermione," Albus said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back behind him. She jumped at the touch, but did not fight the headmaster's surprisingly strong grip. She looked out from behind his robes at Professor Severus Snape as he stood before them, holding a man's neck with his wand to the man's neck, a man that moments ago had had a wand pointed between her eyes.

Severus suddenly released Lucius, his wand instantly at the man's forehead.

"Obliviate!" he said strongly. Lucius was hit with the spell and immediately gave Severus a dazed look, and then looked around the room. Even in his dazed state, he threw a spell, blindly behind him at Severus, who was hit and thrown backwards.

Lucius saw Hermione and stumbled towards her. Before Albus could move (He's having slow reflexes today, the man had thrown him aside. He grabbed Hermione's wrist and pushed her against the wall, roughly. He pressed his lips forcefully against hers, and she cried out trying to get him off, pushing as hard as she could, but he was too strong. He took the opportunity of her scream as one to slip his tongue into her mouth. She fought harder then bit down hard on his slithering tongue. He growled and tried again to ravage her mouth, and managed to grab her breast, but someone grabbed him and threw him to the ground, shouting a binding spell at him.

Her savior looked at her, and she was not as surprised as she thought to see Severus standing there looking at her with concern in his eyes. She felt like throwing up. "He-he touched me," she tried to scrape out the taste of his blood in her mouth with her fingernails. She scratched her tongue so hard that it began to bleed. Severus caught her wrists and pulled her hands away from her mouth. She fought him blindly for a moment, before dissolving in tears. Severus awkwardly wrapped an arm around her.

He could hear the thundering footsteps of Ron and Oliver coming up the stairs. "Wood, Weasley, a little help," he said, confusion on what to do was clear in his voice. Oliver ran to him and wrapped both his arms around Hermione's waist, pulling her into his embrace. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him as well then cried into his shoulder, while he made soothing sounds.

Severus silently cursed himself for not providing her that simple comfort, but he really didn't think she cared at the moment. Ron was rubbing her back, gently, as she cried. Deciding that they really didn't need his clumsy help with the girl, he went to help the headmaster, who was standing slowly. He handed the headmaster a potion, which he took and drunk slowly. "You should keep your guard up, old man, especially when Lucius Malfoy is in the room.

"Worry about yourself Severus. I'll be fine," Albus replied, irritated.

"What happened? What did you do to her?" Ron stood, glaring at Severus.

"Oh don't even start with me, Mr. Weasley. You know I wouldn't touch the girl. That you can blame on Lucius Malfoy," Severus growled, walking to Lucius. He put the man's wand in his pocket.

"You're letting the bastard keep his wand?" Ron demanded.

"Albus, Obliviate just the past half hour and I'll dump him in Hogsmeade. It appears I'm lacking in practice with memory charms," Severus said.

"Of course," Albus nodded. He brandished his wand and muttered, "Obliviate." Lucius twitched, but didn't awaken.

"Allow me the honors," said a voice in the doorway. It was Draco Malfoy. Severus nodded his head, giving his permission. Draco levitated his father, and walked from the room. "Oops," Draco said, as his father's head banged into the door frame.

"How can I not help thinking that that wasn't an accident," Albus muttered.

"Because it wasn't," Severus smirked, but his eyes then fell upon Hermione who was emitting little hiccoughs, from where her face was buried against Oliver's shoulder.

Severus waved his wand and a potion appeared on the headmaster's desk.

"Here," he handed the potion to Oliver, who gave him a confused look.

"It's a healing potion, meant to be swallowed. It will heal the scratches on her tongue and clean if of Lucius' blood," he said, darkly.

"What exactly happened?" Ron demanded.

"Quite a fighter, Miss Granger is, when Lucius forced his tongue into her mouth, she bit it hard, enough to get a large quantity of his blood in her mouth. She then proceeded to try and scratch it out with her nails," Severus said.

"Hermione?" Oliver whispered. He brought his hand up to rest it on her cheek.

Severus felt a fiery emotions burn within him. Astonished at himself, he quickly tried to quash the rage that started in the pit of his stomach as Wood placed a hand on Hermione's soft cheek, a place he would rather have his hand, rather than clenched into a fist at his side. He watched him give her the potion and saw their fingers brush. He felt his anger intensify.

What am I thinking? Severus thought abruptly. This was a good thing. Miss Granger has someone that she can care for that can take care of her! What is going through my mind? That is a good thing!

Then why are you so angry? A treacherous voice inside him asked. He shook his head to clear the voice.

I can tell you. The voice persisted. You've lived for nothing for the past seventeen years, and you want to protect her, if only to give you something to do, which isn't of course, the only reason. Severus could practically feel him sneering at himself on the inside.

"Damn it," he muttered.

"Severus?" Albus frowned.

"Inner conflict, Albus, stay out of it," Severus muttered.

"I'll be in my quarters if anyone requires anything of me," Severus said. He hadn't noticed Hermione had been standing until he saw her standing in front of him, blocking his way to the door. She looked at him, oddly for a moment, before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. He stood there stunned for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her waist, loosely, thinking rationally about what had happened to her, a few minutes ago with Lucius. He stiffened completely when he felt her place her lips on his cheek. It was a brief kiss and left him staring at her, in shock, as everyone else in the room did.

"Thank you," she whispered, her cheeks going bright red.

Unable to do anything else, Severus, just nodded, and let his hands fall from around her to his sides. He stood there an awkward second longer, then walked out, leaving very confused, and leaving behind a room full of very confused wizards.

See, no bad cliffy like last time, and I'm going to update much faster than it took me last time. I'm sorry. Please review. Btw, I had one review I did want to answer:

Gin (Not signed): I am sorry for misspelling Lucius. I was tired when I wrote the first two chapters. I'm sorry, but I've been dealing with my friend's threats to starve himself and shoot himself if I told anyone. Also, I reread chpt 2 and saw no place where she called them Severus or Albus, but I'm not very awake. Tell me where it is and I'll get it fixed, k? If you don't continue reading this far, could someone look for me? Thanx

greeky