A/N: Ok everyone, here is chapter 5! It's been long, I know but with summer holidays and such it takes a while before you get around updating. I'd like to thank Ekaterina Terzieva for beta reading this chapter!

Anyway, let's get on to the story.

Chapter 5

Hermione woke up as the first winter sunlight shone through her window. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table she saw that it wasn't more than 4:30, a very early hour even for Hermione Granger.
It had been three days since she saw Lucius last. Where could he be?
Sighing she rolled over to the left side of the bed, a part of her hoping to find him there, but of course there was no one there, just empty wrinkled sheets.
She had now realized that it was no use denying that she did miss his presence, no use in denying that deeper emotions for him had been clouding her brain for several days.
Yes, everything had gotten extremely complicated in almost no time at all. The question was how she was going to handle it.
Should she pretend that nothing had ever happened between them and go on and with that risk a heart break? Or should she throw herself into a relationship, almost already doomed to fail with a huge chance of heart break and a tiny chance of being happy for a longer amount of time?

It was a mess, everything was a mess. She was overloaded with homework's and her head girl duties which now included arranging a ball before the Holidays.
How she was going to pull of everything in less than two weeks was a mystery.

With a brain overloaded with thoughts and confusion Hermione realized that she wouldn't get anymore sleep and decided to first take a bath and then see if she could get something to eat.

An hour later she stepped out of the tub, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body.
On the bathroom door a large mirror was placed, which normally reflected the whole room but was now misted over because the heat and dampness in the room.

Slowly she ran her hand across the mirror to get clear sight. The reflection staring back at her was somehow not what she had expected, but still so alike how she felt.
Staring back at her was an 18 year old girl, damp chestnut colored curls almost reaching to her waist. Her body was slender, not thin but slender and enough curvy to earn appreciative looks from a number of males.
The face was rather small with fine lines, soft rose-colored lips, cheeks slightly pink from the hot bath and expressive cinnamon brown eyes with long black lashes framing them.
Her eyes, they had much to tell. Years of unshed tears and many laughs and many sorrows.
Looking back at her life it had been quite a ride so far. Her parents had always held a great deal of expectations on everything she had done. Not that she had a bad childhood; they were fare decent parents who cared for her.
The problem was that they had a hard time to show it. Sure, they were supportive in whatever choices she made but it had always felt like she wasn't doing well enough and her parents made no secret that this was exactly what they thought.
That was partly why she kept pressing herself to do better every time. But why was she complaining anyway? She was lucky to have parents that showed at least a bit of appreciation.
No, there was no use in lingering to the past, to dwell on things that had passed and did not matter anymore.

With a final look at her reflection, Hermione left the bathroom, performing a spell to get her dry, but leaving her hair damp. It didn't get at all so frizzy if she let it dry by it self.
Choosing a muggle outfit, which consisted with a knitted white turtle neck shirt, a pair of black plain pants, and a pair of black shoes with a rather thin high heel.
Since it was Saturday they didn't need to wear the usual school robes.
Giving her reflection a glance in another mirror she decided that she looked ok and went out to get something to eat.

Since it was only a little more than 6 o'clock in the morning she didn't really expect anyone to be in the great hall but when she arrived there she found no one less than professor Snape sitting on his usual seat, sipping his coffee and reading The Daily Prophet.

"Good Morning Professor Snape" she greeted politely as she sat down at the empty Gryffindor table and food instantly appeared in front of her.

"Good morning Miss Granger" Severus said curtly, not at all keen to start a conversation with the girl.
For some reason he felt that it was risky even talking to her after last nights gathering.
Yes, last nights gathering had not been very pleasant. Not that it was any torture actions or such; the whole thing had just been plainly unpleasant.

Flashback

Severus arrived at the deserted mansion 11 o'clock in the evening, just in time for the gathering.

"Ah Severus, my devoted servant. Punctual as usual." Lord Voldemort hissed hoarsely from where he was standing in the middle of the circle of the black hooded death eaters.

"My Lord" Severus said with a voice full of false respect as he sunk down on all four to kiss Voldemorts robes.
This was a tradition among death eaters and had been ever since the rise of Voldemort. So clearly was the dark lord a wizard depending on his servant's submission. Every time Severus did this he was close to nauseous, he hated Voldemort more than words could say, but he was devoted to the work he did for Dumbledore.

Getting up from the floor he silently positioned himself between Lucius Malfoy and another high ranked death eater.

"Welcome my devoted servants" Voldemort hissed hoarsely when all of the death eaters had arrived.
"Today's gathering shall be interesting. I do hope that you have positive news for me."
But the news from his followers was not of any important matter. Severus laid his usual 'invented' report about the state at the school.
After some twenty minutes of reporting the Dark Lord stopped a death eater in the middle of a report.

"It seems like nothing has happened so you may as well leave, all of you. Except for you Lucius" Voldemort hissed, directing his look at Lucius where he was standing beside Snape.

With a curt nod Lucius remained as the others left the room.
Severus though, wasn't going to leave. A private meeting between Lord Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy was something he wouldn't let goes unnoticed.
Silently he positioned himself at the door so he could hear the conversation inside.
He was surprised that the dark lord hadn't taken any more actions for the safety against spies on the manor.

Behind the door Lucius was becoming nervous, but managed not to show it.
Lucius Malfoy was normally not a man to be nervous about anything, but having Lord Voldemort in front of you, staring at you without saying a word could make anyone nervous.

"Lucius" Voldemort finally said. "I see you failed to bring me what I wanted."

"With all due respect my Lord, I did not fail" Lucius said, bowing slightly.

"Well I do not see her here, so where is she?" the dark lord hissed angrily, gripping hold of the front of Lucius robes.

"She was harder to 'persuade' than I thought my Lord, but I shall bring her to you as soon as I can" Lucius said in a slightly choked voice, for Voldemort was now gripping his collar tightly, almost strangling him.

"I thought I told you what to do Lucius. Bring her to a secluded area and force her to make a choice. Either torture etc or come and stand in front of me."

"That is what I intended to do my Lord, but she was to my surprise willing to do close to anything with her."

"Then you should have refused her and then teached her a lesson. No one is playing with one of my allies without punishment".
With this he threw Lucius across the room with such force that the blond wizard hit the wall and fell onto the floor.
"Forgive me my Lord. I shall see to earn her trust and bring her to you, whatever it takes" he said as he raised from the floor, his head throbbing painfully from hitting the wall.

"Good. I do not want to see you fail once more Lucius, than you shall payâ€Crucio"
with a hoarse chuckle Voldemort left his servant wrenching in pain on the floor.

Before Lord Voldemort came through the door, Severus had quickly apparated to a secluded alley in Hogsmeade.
He had not heard very much from the conversation, because he did not dare to put a spell on the door in case he would be revealed.
The only things he had heard were that Malfoy was supposed to bring Voldemort a woman. Who he was he did not know, but a nagging feeling told him that Miss Granger had something to do with this. He was no sure what, but there was something that did not seem right.
Sighing he began to walk back to the castle as snow stared to fall, covering the ground with a soft powdery layer of snowflakes.

Back at the mansion Lucius had managed to fight back the pain and slowly make his way outside.
With his whole body throbbing in pain he silently cursed Voldemort and everything in this world. How was he ever going to be able to bring Miss Granger to the dark lord where she would be put through God knows what.
He had been told that Voldemort wanted Miss Granger by his side to have a powerful allied to turn against Potter and his friend.
Now Lucius knew he had to stop Voldemort from getting to Granger, even if it meant loosing his own life in the same time. Never had he cared for someone else's life in this way, cared enough to sacrifice his own life and he didn't even know why and how he had com to this.

Completely exhausted Lucius managed to collect his last powers to apparate, unfortunately he did not know where.

End of flashback

Severus was torn from his thought by the sound of an owl bringing Miss Granger the daily prophet, which she read with great interest.
'She has no idea what she has gotten herself into and unfortunately neither do I' Severus thought with a sigh and then left the great hall without a word, heading towards the dungeons.

Hermione followed professor Snape with her eyes. Something was wrong, she could sense it. Something was terribly wrong.

Suddenly she felt a stabbing pain in her abdomen. With a whine she held her hands over her stomach as she once again felt the pain, like someone was stabbing her with a knife.

She recognized this in some far of way, but she did not know from where.

A/N: That's all for now, let me know what you think and if I should continue.