Sorry this chapter was delayed in getting uploaded! I was sick yesterday and didn't get it written until today. I hope you will enjoy it as much as you all have seemed to enjoy the rest!
SIRIUS'S GIRL636321 - Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are still enjoying the story and I hope that this chapter will be just as good as the rest.
dancing in rain – What can I say! THANK YOU!! I'm really excited about what we have been discussing and I'm sorry that I took so long to get this chapter out!
moonyNZ – Thank you so much!
It had felt like ages since Harry had wandered the halls of Hogwarts. Such good memories they beheld for him and his friends, along with some frightening ones as well. The good had far outweighed the bad though and so it was happy thoughts that were within his mind as he entered the familiar room.
The man was leaning over a cauldron and had not seemed to notice Harry as he walked in, but without looking up Severus Snape spoke up. "Potter." He said in the old and familiar way he always spoke to Harry.
"I suppose you have come to check up on me have you? You have no need to worry Mr. Potter, the potion will be done soon so that you can rescue the imbecile of a Godfather of yours along with the know it all." The potions professor said with a sneer as he looked up at Harry.
"No, I know you are skilled in what you do Severus so I have no worries that you will produce the potion as swiftly as you are able. " Harry stated simply with a pause.
"As for the know it all..well you do realize it was her that campaigned the most for you. She saw past your bluster and bravado and saw to the true heroic man you are. It took time for Ron and I to realize this, but she finally got through our thick skulls." Harry gave Severus a lopsided grin.
"I came to see how you are doing. I know Draco is important to you, and I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to get him as well as Sirius and Hermione. Draco and I may have disliked each other in school, but we have gotten past a lot of our differences since then." Harry gave Severus a concerned look.
"I'm doing as well as I'm able Mr. Potter." Severus stated.
"Could you not find it in your heart to call my Harry? I know you are not as evil and hard hearted as you make yourself out to be, you have taught me a lot and protected me when I was not able to protect myself and I want you to know that I'm thankful and forever grateful for that." Harry said.
Severus regarded the young man across the desk from him. He had grown up in many ways and lost a lot of his annoying attitude that he held within his stay at Hogwarts. It just didn't feel right for him to treat him any differently than he had in the past. He called Hermione a know it all, but Severus knew that she was a brilliant witch that had grown strong not only in her academics but in her personality as well. She didn't try and force her knowledge on people anymore and had become much more subtle about the way she acted towards others. Ron was still a prat though.
Harry watched the range of emotions cross Severus's face. To the average person it would like a stony expression, but Harry had come to know that face well and could tell the little differences that were emotions. Finally Harry decided to let the professor off the hook when he held up his hand.
"Ok I admit I'm asking a lot. Call me anything you like, but you won't fool me with that attitude of yours." Harry said with a grin only to hear a snort from Severus in response.
"Just know that I'm going to do anything in my power to get Draco out safe." Harry continued.
Severus kept his eyes on the contents of the cauldron as he spoke. "Thank you."
Harry didn't know whether or not to cheer at that moment or fall off his chair and stare with shock, instead he opted for just a nod and left the professor to do what he did best.
Hermione lay on her back in her cell with Sirius snuggled beside her. Her hands were stroking the dark fur on his back as she spoke softly to him.
"This is a nightmare that I can't seem to wake myself out of Snuffles." She burrowed her nose into the hair on his neck and felt the dog shiver slightly.
"Please tell me that others know that we are missing." She asked softly.
Sirius chuffed in response and she took that to mean a yes.
"You know of all the people I would have asked to walk through that door and be with me through all this, it was either you or Harry. You two are the ones that give me the most strength." She said softly.
Feeling she was giving away too much knowledge of her heart, Hermione chose to change her line of thought.
"Marcus Flint is behind a lot of this, but I can't help but wonder if it will all get out of hand. Purebloods don't realize the real strength of muggles. Most think they are dunderheads that are clueless. They are strong and vicious though and should never be underestimated." She said.
Sirius turned to look at her as if she was crazy.
"See even you don't believe me. You saw what happened in that cell. Our spells are enough to kill, but they are sterile in a way. Look at Ginny…she is still traumatized by what she saw. We may be aware of some things that muggles aren't, but most purebloods are clueless about things outside of their own little world. All that blood, that is something that muggles see everyday. They see it so much that they are immune to it in a way. They put it in their movies for thrills, they watch it everyday on their news happening to real people around the world. Death is one of the most viewed things in a muggles life." She stopped with a sigh.
"Marcus said that he would never fear being collared. That means there must be a failsafe. What that is though I have no idea. The collar is linked to Malcolm, this I know. It reacts if he is in pain, it reacts if I try and do a spell against him and only he can control if I can cast or not. I think the bracelet he wears is tied to the collar, I think this is the collars mate. He tried to throw me by putting the leash on me and using that as the main controls, but I can't help but notice the only people that wear them are the ones with wizard and witches bound to them." Hermione paused and went into deep thought.
Sirius watched her and couldn't help but wonder at the beauty of her face as she concentrated. Her brow was furrowed and he wanted to kiss the little wrinkle at the top of her nose.
Hermione looked at Sirius while she was thinking and when she saw the little tip of his tongue sticking out she couldn't help but giggle. It looked so much like he had a pink bottom lip, and it made his face look adorable.
"You look like a puppy when you do that Snuffles." She said with another giggle.
Sirius growled at her playfully and bumped her with his head.
"Hey! Stop that, I'm trying to think here." She said laughing.
He lifted his head and then lay it down onto her stomach, allowing her to continue her thinking.
She let all the facts go through her mind and when they centered in onto one thought she wasn't sure if she should actually consider it. It seemed too simple, too obvious in a way, but then it seemed to be the perfect way to remove the collar. "Maybe…just maybe." Hermione said to herself.
"I can't though Snuffles, not until I know it is the best time to try it. I think I may know how though…It just might work." She said with an excited tone.
Sirius tilted his head as he looked at her, questioning her.
"No, I can't say it out loud just in case. When the time is right..that is when." She said and then gave Sirius a big hug.
"Did I tell you how happy I am that you are here with me?" She said with a smile.
He looked up and licked her face, causing her to giggle.
"You know Snuffles, if you were human I would have to question your intentions with kisses like those." Hermione said.
"Not that I'd mind…" She whispered softly.
Sirius pulled back slightly and looked at her. There was a deep blush on her face and he realized that he had heard right. He quirked his head slightly at her.
"Did I say that out loud? Oh dear…" She rubbed her face feeling completely embarrassed.
Marcus was fuming as he arrived at Miranda's flat. How dare that muggle threaten him like that. He was a strong wizard that could crush the man flat if he so desired. The man was obviously thinking too big for his tiny little muggle brain and soon Marcus would have to rectify that problem.
He entered the flat and called out to Miranda. "Hey sexy, your shag has just arrived."
A good shag was what he needed at the moment. He had been fighting with his erection since speaking with Hermione, but since he couldn't use her to settle it at the moment Miranda would have to do.
He walked down the hallway towards her living room. "Playing cat and mouse are we?" He purred. "Well you better watch out, because this cat is hungry and he is going to eat the mouse until he is full."
She was still quiet he noticed and he rounded the corner of the hallway. The room was empty, but he could smell food cooking and grinned. She was a good little lay, she knew food was what he wanted after a good fuck.
He headed into the kitchen, talking along the way. "You'll never believe what the little shit Devon tried to pull on me today. I think you and I will have to have a chat to let the muggle know just where his place is. Maybe you can finally have the meal you have been wanting all along." He said with a smirk.
As he walked into the kitchen he felt that something just wasn't quite right. His brow furrowed as he walked in farther and the closer he got to the counter, the more he felt something was wrong. From over top the counter he caught a flash of blue and recognized immediately that it was Miranda's favourite negligee. Slowly he walked around the counter and it took his brain a moment to register the scene before him.
Her body lay surrounded by her own blood. The contrast between the deep red fluid and her pale flawless skin was startling, but it was the lack of her head that was even more so. He couldn't say a word, and he looked around numbly trying to find her head but couldn't see it immediately. With dread though he took a step towards the oven and hesitated before opening it. He couldn't help but jump back in horror as he saw the blackened head inside the oven and as he moved he tripped over Miranda's body and felt her blood soaking his pants. It was at that moment that a true trickle of fear went down his spine and he realized that he may indeed be in over his head.