This is a new record for me. Two new chapters, and all within days of themselves.

I know this isn't as good as it should be, but I know if I don't write it now and get it out, I'll never finish it.

Here you are.

Chapter 15

Hermione watching in absolute horror as Snape's slack form slid partially down the wall, his knees finally falling into contact with the floor. From there, his eyes rolled back into his head, and his body fell forward, causing a huge thud. Malfoy simply watched, his eyebrow cocked in a smug, slightly curious gesture. He made a 'humph' sound, and turned slightly towards them. His victim lay forgot on the floor.

Draco grasped Hermione as she felt herself so limp, falling to her hands besides a boy she had just recently hated. "No…"

Draco felt his breath hitch in his chest as his father started walking towards them. He let his knife drop to the floor, still covered in a thin layer of bloody film. His hands were still coated in Snape's blood, and he smirked as he removed a cloth from his cloak and wiped them clean. "I'm so sorry you children had to witness the disposal of such a monster-" he started, but Hermione wouldn't allow him to finish.

"Liar!" she cried, struggling to stand and started reaching for Malfoy, but Draco refused to release her. Unable to stand, she succumbed to her tears, and she fell to Draco's side, sobbing. "You enjoyed watching him suffer," she managed through her tears, "You're horrible."

"Yes, well, all part of my charm, I should say."

Hermione's face contorted with rage, and Draco was forced to simply watch in fascination. He was unable to register what his father had done. His soul was locked in a monstrous conflict; on the one hand, he was loyal to his father, and wished to remain so. He didn't want to feud with the man who had raised him. On the other, he had a feeling, a gut instinct, that this was wrong. He could feel Hermione's pain and suffering radiating off her in huge gusts of emotion, and he could almost feel his own heart palpitate in response. He knew he still inwardly hated the stubborn, insufferably intelligent Gryffindor, but he knew the killing of a man was a lot worse than being nice to an opposing classmate. If word got out of his father murdering Snape, the Ministry would surely be scouring the house in mere hours. He wouldn't be able to go back to Hogwarts, and may even be considered his father's accomplice.

All this thinking was making his head hurt.

Still, his father was drawing closer to them, his wand still drawn and his arm outstretched. "Draco, my boy," he began addressing him, though his eyes held an emotion unknown to Draco; was it anger? "I expected better of you; dealing with the likes of such filth." He gestured towards Hermione.

She scrunched her nose in bitter resentment, but was unable to articulate anything.

Draco couldn't think of how to act; who to support. Hermione desperately needed him, but he couldn't completely disregard his father's love.

He and Hermione were helpless. Draco's wand lay a few feet away, and it seemed that Hermione had contracted a leg injury, and refused to put pressure on her right foot. They were both in a fairly sad predicament.

"Father, please," he started, "I-"

"You what?" Malfoy spat, "Don't tell me; you're sorry and you want forgiveness?" He had almost reached them, and his dramatic gesturing caused his wand to swirl back and forth. Draco was unsure of what he was capable of in his drunken anger; he hadn't expected him to flat out kill Snape like that.

"It's too late for that, my son."

Hermione was silent beside him. He could feel her breathing growing heavier, but her struggling had subsided. She was staring pointedly at his father.

She stared darkly up at him. "It's your turn."

In one swift movement, she launched herself across the floor, landing on her stomach in a cry of pain and elation as her hand closed around Draco's wand.

She rolled to the side as Malfoy launched a curse at her, and raised herself up onto her elbows. Raising Draco's wand, her face glowed with triumph, but also with a bitter malice.

"Crucio!"

Draco drew a frightful breath and watched in surprise and anguish as his father's crumpled form hit the ground and began convulsing. His screams of utter torment, his hands clutching at his clothing as he tried to rip them from his body. Without even realizing it, Draco was reaching out for him, distress written on his face.

"Father-"

Hermione realized the danger. "Draco, we have to go, there isn't much time!"

"What have you done!"

"The only thing I could do!"

Draco spun to face her as she was trying to stand, catching her off guard. She had begun to topple over as he grasped her by the arms and pulled her roughly to him. "You're killing him!"

Hermione's face was full of surprise and tenderness. "He won't die, he's only in pain! He'll start to heal once the curse wears off!" She strained against him, trying to get him to release her. "Unlike Snape!"

She pulled away from him and started quickly trying to make her way to Snape, dragging her wounded leg behind her like an injured dog. Draco was still in minor shock, unable to fully understand what was going on. He watched his father writhe in pain, and wanted to reach out to him; help him. He realized he didn't know how.

"Make it stop, Hermione!" he screamed at her, gesturing towards his father. "Make the pain stop!"

"I have no power over how long the curse lasts," she threw over her shoulder, finally reaching Snape.

She fell to her knees beside him, reaching over him and tugging to roll him over.

He rolled limply into her lap, and she instantly slipped an arm under his head, supporting him. In an instant her hands were drenched with blood, and the sight of it made her stomach churn. "Oh, God," she sighed as she tenderly touched the stab wound to his shoulder. She swept the hair out of her face again, and then looked down to his abdomen. The blood was slowly sweeping through his tattered clothing like a tide. The wound was deep, and she wasn't sure if any of his internal organs had been injured.

Actually, come to think of it, she had no idea if he was even still alive.

She quickly slipped her wet finger down along the elegant curve of his neck, feeling along the underside of his jaw. She felt nothing.

No.

She pressed harder, trying to make her fingertips sense even the slightest movement. Still, there was no sign of any blood flow.

"No!"

She dropped her head to his chest, her own tears coming in contact with his bare skin. She felt the blood spread across her cheek, but she didn't care. She listened for a heartbeat through Draco's screams.

There was none.

She had begun to panic now. Though she knew some types of advanced healing, she'd never dealt with anything that came close to the severity of her current situation. She'd read slightly into it, sure, but nothing that made her feel secure enough to try and keep his heart beating.

Draco, in his confused stupor, had trailed over to her, still watching his father. The curse was beginning to wear off now, and his father was starting to relax. His breathing was ragged and heavy; his limbs were still twitching.

"Is he still alive?"

"I don't know!" shrieked Hermione. "He's not breathing!"

That gave Draco a start. "What?"

Hermione ignored him. In all her reading, there only a select few spells that she remembered. And the only one that she could conjure up from her mind that pertained to her current problem was difficult and complicated to perform.

I'll just have to breathe for him.

The particular spell she was thinking of required that the healer connect with the patient in a way that the body of the healer powered the patient's lungs. In essence, the healer forced the patient to breathe, even if the patient was too weak or injured to function himself.

She just hoped that she had enough strength to make it work.

She rested her head upon his chest again, closing her eyes. She started taking deep breaths, and began to chant softly under her breath.

Draco finally drew his eyes always from his father, who had finally come to rest in an unconscious state on the floor in a glorious heap. He watched Hermione mutter as her hands settled onto each side of Snape's chest. Her whispering became more forceful, and her eyelids began to flutter. He suddenly questioned her sanity.

"Hermione, what are you-"

Unexpectedly, Hermione jumped up, her eyes bright and hopeful as Snape drew in a ragged, heavy breath just as she did. He watched some of the color return to Snape's face as Hermione gave a huge grin.

"Yes."

Draco gave her a serious, dark glance and grabbed her wrist. "We have to get out of here."

She returned his understanding. "I know."

She took out Draco's wand again, and made to cast another spell on Snape, but then thought better of it. "I shouldn't use your wand; I might hurt him even more." She handed it back to Draco, who shot her a repugnant, confused glare. "Here, you'll have to use it."

She gave him a spell to cast, but he simply stared at her. "Are you serious?"

"Just do it!"

He did as she asked, and he watched in fascination as she lifted Snape up onto her shoulders, harboring him as her own burden. "He's not so heavy now."

"But you can't walk. How will you carry him?"

She seemed ready to retort, but found nothing reasonable to answer with. "You'll have to take him then."

Draco scoffed, "There's no way you're getting me to-"

"You have to! Just do it!"

He hesitated a moment, but gave a brief sigh, giving in. He took Snape from her, slinging him over his shoulder. He was surprised to find him light as his book bag, though still ungainly to carry.

"Where to?" Hermione asked.

Draco hesitated. "I have no idea."

"Couldn't we use a Portkey?"

"Not unless one was already set up. I haven't any idea as to how to set up one of those."

Hermione sighed, fatigue grating on her veins. "There's nothing we can do."

Draco looked to the floor. "We'll just have to use the carriages."

"But that won't get us far."

"There is nothing else!"

Hermione knocked her fist against her teeth.

"Wait!"

Draco looked to her incredulously. "What?"

Hermione's eyes shown with excitement.

"What about the Knight Bus?"

I know that within each chapter, the point of view of the narration tends to change slightly. I'm sorry if that confuses anyone. I don't do it intentionally.

Anyway, I hope it's still keeping all of you out there interested. Hopefully I'll keep churning out chapters for you, but I can't promise much.

Poor Snape. I'll be nice to him after this, I promise.