When Hermione's feet hit the ground she immediately fell into the tall, lean body of Professor Severus Snape.
"Ms. Granger," he said, "I realize that you may not be use to Apparation but I assure you I will not tolerate your lying on me for much longer."
Hermione scrambled away from her professor, blushing profusely.
"Sorry sir," she mumbled.
Professor Snape stood and straightened his Death Eater's robes. "Merlin she smells good," he thought.
"Professor," Hermione asked, "where am I?"
"You are at my private residence, Snape Manor."
"Why did you bring me here?" she inquired with amazement. "So this is where Snape lives," she thought, "I always imagined something a bit darker, more cave like. He has nice taste though." She surveyed what she guessed must be the living room. There was a large fireplace that was the center piece of the room with a comfortable black, leather couch facing it. There was also a matching leather armchair beside a small end table that was stacked high with books. She turned to look at the rest of the room and found shelves of dark mahogany filled with hundreds of books.
"Wow," she breathed.
"If you'll excuse me," Snape said in voice that awoke Hermione from her wonderment, "I must return to battle. I will be missed." He narrowed his eyes and spoke in his most menacing voice, "Do not wander. You are safe here."
He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming and locking the doors behind him, leaving Hermione dazed on the floor.
"Hermione Granger is in my house," Snape thought as he began marching down his hallway. "Why the hell is Hermione Granger in my house?"
Why exactly had he brought her here of all places? This was his haven, his sanctuary, his home.
"She is safe here," the voice in the back of his head reasoned. "And it's not as if it is Potter or Weasley."
"Stop rationalizing!" he thought in an attempt to silence the voice.
"You brought her here," the voice replied.
With that, the inner argument was over. Snape was angry with himself for letting his subconscious win.
"Why did I bring her here?" he continued pondering as he stormed through his front gates. "She is intelligent and dedicated. And despite her Gryffindor attitude and friendships with Potter and Weasley, she is quite tolerable."
"And she smells good," said the voice in his head.
"SHUT UP!"
Hermione stared at the closed doors. She sat on the floor, just staring, allowing the days events to sink in.
"Battle…dead…Snape…Apparate…Snape…"she thought, "I am in Snape's house."
She rose from her position on the floor and made her way to the closed doors through which Snape had just exited. She attempted to open them and found them locked. She pulled out her wand. "Alohamora!" She tried the doors again. They were still locked.
"Snape you git! They're my friends! I have to fight for them!"
She kicked at the doors achieving nothing but pain in her foot. She spun around and glared into the sitting room. Her eyes settled on the fireplace. She ran to it and began rooting around on top of the mantle.
"You have to have Floo Powder. Everyone has Floo Powder."
She rummaged through piles of books and papers that had been placed on the mantle. She finally came across a small, silver box. She opened it to find a very small amount of Floo Powder. She threw all of the contents into the flames and watched as they turned green.
"This had better work," she said as she stepped into the flames. "Number 12 Grimmauld Place!"