A/N: First of all I need to say sorry to Fairy of Fire and Fury for misspelling your name, I'm dreadfully sorry for the slip up! I also want to apologize for the amount of spelling/grammatical mistakes in my last update, oops. Forgot to read back through it before posting. Hopefully there aren't any present in this one.
Severus-Fan: here's another update for you to read when you get up, hope you like it :)
And thank you to MysticSong1978 and thornblack for their kind reviews. I'm so glad you all like the story. Well, enough rambling, here is the latest chapter, another one no doubt to come soon.
Moments later bundled up in the thick coat with the Gryffindor scarf wrapped snuggling around her neck Hermione emerged from the main doors, drawing in a deep breath of crisp clean winter air. Pristine snow crunched beneath her feet, a slight chill nipping at her toes though the coat and scarf defended against the brunt of the cold. Stopping to draw in another large refreshing breath she gazed out over the grounds of Hogwarts, everything laying beneath a thick coating of white, the early afternoon sun casting a dazzling light over the world. For a moment Hermione had to pause and let her eyes adjust to the sunlight reflecting off of the snow before continuing down the stone steps and onto the grass. Beyond the immaculately manicured lawns lay the lake, now gleaming like a highly polished mirror as the sun shone brightly on the thick layer of ice, the giant squid somewhere beneath its frozen surface, dwelling in the murky depths.
Thrusting her hands deep into the pockets of the coat she ambled slowly across the lawns, delighting in the sound of the frozen grass and snow crunching beneath her feet, her breath flowing out in small puffs of steam from her lips as her nose gradually became a rather dark shade of red. Rounding the owlery Hermione briefly glanced up to see the school owls perched quietly within the tower, a dozen large eyes tracking her movement over the snow as though watching the minute actions of a delectable field mouse. Hurrying her pace a little partly from the cold that had now completely encased her feet and partly because of the unflinching gazes that followed her, Hermione approached the familiar and comforting sight of Hagrid's somewhat ramshackle hut.
Much to her disappointment the usual steady stream of smoke did not flow from the hut's chimney, nor did she hear the customary baying of Fang at her approach. Climbing the few rickety and creaking steps to Hagrid's hut she rapped loudly upon the door. Grasping her chilled hands together while blowing on them she hopped from one foot to the next, hoping in vain that the comforting figure of her dear friend Hagrid would throw open the door at any moment and welcome her in for a warming cup of tea. After waiting for several minutes and receiving no answer to her persistent knocks Hermione thrust her hands back into her pockets wishing that perhaps Poppy had given her a pair of gloves and a hat too. Sullenly she walked back down the steps, wandering past the pumpkin patch where the usual cluster of ravens eyed her suspiciously, letting out a series of threatening squawks, urging her to move along quickly. Skirting along the edge of the Forbidden Forest Hermione carelessly kicked at broken twigs and clumps of frozen dirt, mulling silently over her current situation, wracking her mind for a way to lessen the discomfort of the dungeons.
Deep in thought Hermione didn't realize that she had begun to wander off the path around the Forbidden Forest until briefly looking up she suddenly found herself surrounded by a dense gathering of bare branched trees, a thick mist swirling around her ankles and obscuring her feet from view. A slight tremor ran through her at her realization as she quickly spun around, a choking panic rising in her throat while her heart began to pound like a jackhammer against her ribs. Clenching her fists in her pockets Hermione suddenly realized that she had ventured out of the dungeons without her wand, fully expecting to return to Severus' quarters. Stinging tears developed in her eyes as she mentally scolded herself, Hermione you fool, how could you just leave without your wand? You idiot, and crying won't dot you any good, where is your Gryffindor courage?
Closing her eyes for a moment she drew in several deep breaths to calm her frayed nerves, listening quietly to the sounds of the forest. Her own panicked breaths echoed loudly in her eyes, beyond that the squawking of the ravens at Hagrid's hut, now sounding distant and soft on the breeze that whispered through the forest, causing the tree limbs to creak and groan in a haunting symphony. The sound of dripping water was as constant as a heart beat in the background as the snow slowly melted in the sunlight that had now grown weak, falling through the branches in strangled shafts of paling light. A new surge of terror coursed through her as she watched the waning light fall around her, Oh Merlin, how long have I been wandering around out here? It will be getting dark soon! She fretted, even her voice inside her head sounding panic stricken. Now calm yourself Hermione, all this worrying is not going to do anything but waste time, get yourself under control and think. Taking a series of steadying breaths she thought rationally for a moment.
Deciding that her best course of action would be to simply go back the way she had come Hermione wrapped the exceedingly long scarf around her neck a few more times, bringing it up in a kind of collar to provide her ears with some shelter from the chill air. However, on further inspection her plan was not so fool proof, glancing around the forest it became quite apparent that in her moment of panic Hermione had gotten herself quite turned around, and now had no clue which way she come, and which way she should leave. The thick mist continued to swirl around her feet, clearing only a little with her rapid steps, simply to reveal a jumble of footprints leading every which way that she had caused in panic.
Sighing loudly and gritting her teeth she struggled to hold back the tears that now clung heavily to her eyelashes while she swore over and over in her mind that she would not give in and crumple to the ground crying, no matter how tempting of an option it seemed at the moment. Time seemed to pass quickly in the Forbidden Forest, the shadows lengthening and thickening in a matter of minutes until all too soon Hermione found herself enveloped in near darkness, the mist that crept silent and deadly through the forest shimmering like a thousand lost souls searching out some kind of relief from their torment. This cannot be happening to me! she squealed internally, the tears in her eyes ever closer to spilling over her reddened cheeks, her gaze continuing to frantically scan the forest around her, suspiciously studying every shadow, every tree hollow and fallen branch.
A sudden rustling in the not too distant undergrowth set Hermione's senses on full alert, her heart rate elevating as her breathing became rapid and labored, a cold sweat shimmering on her forehead, her cheeks blanching despite the cold. Like the hunted rabbit she froze in fear, eyes wide, frantically darting around though seeing nothing through the blinding veil of tears. A swift breeze at the side of her head sent Hermione diving for the ground, the scent of cold wet earth instantly filling her nostrils as her fingers clawed at the earth. Trembling and terrified she lay silent and as still as possible, her cheeks pressed to the forest floor beneath her, the moist earth bitingly cold against her flesh, the feel of wet, half rotten leaves an extremely unpleasant sensation as she fought the urge to squirm in repulsion.
It was with a mental slap and heavily exhaled breath that Hermione saw the gleaming white wings of an owl swooping past her, disappearing into the mist that blanketed the forest floor. A strangled shrill scream pierced the silence causing her breath to freeze in her throat once more before the owl once again emerged from the swirling fog with the lifeless body of a rabbit in its immense talons. Closing her eyes she laid her head against the cool earth again, drawing in one choking breath after another, her throat heated and raw, exhaustion beginning to creep into her limbs. After several long moments Hermione rose to her feet attempting to brush the mud from her coat and jeans, though she knew that the only thing that would remove the caked on dirt would be a cleansing charm and for that she needed her wand. Back again to the problem at hand she thought solemnly, her eyes drooping in weariness and frustration.
All but blindly reaching out she grasped with almost numb fingers at the closest tree trunk, her feet moving slowly in small shuffling steps until the length of her body was pressed against the trunk, the bark cold and rough even through the layers of clothing. Pausing to gather her courage Hermione rested her weight against the trunk, and several long moments and calming breaths later she ventured hesitantly from the solidarity of the tree, reaching in the darkness for the next. Thus was how she moved, cautiously and slowly from one tree to the next, zigzagging back and forth while vainly hoping that she was not simply moving in circles. Again she gradually became aware of the sounds of the forest, however with almost all trace of daylight now gone, they seemed amplified and ten times more terrifying. The whispering wind through the trees sounding so much like a rasping breath at her ear, the minute hairs on the back of her neck raising in fear as her reaching hand trembled violently. Wild life rustled and moved in the undergrowth, some distant, some far too close for comfort, hidden beneath the blanket of mist that continued to thicken, now well on its way up towards her knees, its dampness soaking into her jeans making her legs grow numb with cold.
The sharp crack of a twig echoed through the trees, the forest falling silent at the apparent intrusion, even the wind seeming to halt in trepidation. Fearfully Hermione clung to the closest tree, her breaths rapid and deafening to her while her heart pounded furiously in her ears. Her grip on the tree trunk tightened and her body jumped each time she heard the undeniable sound of a carefully placed footstep. Squeezing her eyes closed tightly Hermione turned her face towards the trunk, feeling the rough scratching of the bark against her now tear dampened cheek as she sought to curl into the tree as though she could somehow merge with it and seek shelter. The steps were growing closer, and with each one she could feel her resolve slipping away, the surety of her early demise sinking into her bones.
Hermione found it hard to decide which was worse, the prospect of meeting some terrifying and awful creature in the forest and ultimately meeting her end, or the ferocious and scowling visage of the man that quite suddenly gripped her shoulder and whipped her around to face him, his obsidian black eyes glimmering menacingly in the light of his wand.
"P… Professor, thank Merlin you…"
"Silence Miss Granger" Severus growled deep and low, the tone of his voice enough to make the most vile and fearsome of creatures run for shelter. Blinking away her tears Hermione fought the urge to simply throw her arms around her Potions Professor and collapse against him in a torrent of tears, however the look in his eyes quickly dispelled any urges of the sort she may have had.
Lowering her head Hermione let Severus guide her away from the tree with a firm grip upon her upper arm, his fingers biting into her flesh despite the thick coat and sweater that separated them. Expecting him to release his grip Hermione paused to allow him to take the lead, but found herself swiftly almost pulled off her feet as he continued walking, dragging her along beside him. While he moved amongst the trees with ease, stepping over rocks and fallen branches without even seeing them Hermione tripped and stumbled her way behind him, branches pulling at her hair and scratching her face until she was all but sobbing in distress.
"Please Professor, I can't see where we're going and… and you're hurting me!" she exclaimed while tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I said silence Miss Granger" he hissed through clenched teeth, his voice low and at a pitch that would have been inaudible in the castle though it rang loud and clear in the forest. Without slowing his pace even a little Severus continued to pull and drag the whimpering girl along behind him, he knew his grip was overly tight upon her arm, he knew that there was no way should could know the woods as well as he, and that the trees whipped at her like clawing skeletal fingers. But he cared not for the pain she felt, the tears and blood that stained her cheeks, his fury was blinding, his teeth clenched to prevent a torrent of obscenities and insults to spill forth from him in a vile expulsion.
"Please Professor!" Hermione whimpered as she tripped over an unearthed root, her ankle twisting painfully as she fell heavily to her knees, the pain coursing through them in a white hot flash. It was more the sudden wrenching in his arm as the girl collapsed to the ground rather than her pathetic sounding plea that caused Serverus to halt mid step and turn angrily to face her. Directing the tip of his wand towards her he observed a rather sorry sight crumpled at the base of a tree. Tears, blood and dirt clung to Hermione's pale cheeks, her eyes listless in the bright light from his wand, her lips cracked and bleeding as she drew one ragged breath after another through them. Her coat was torn and caked with mud as were her jeans, her scarf long ago lost to the clutching branch of a tree, the frantic beat of her heart obvious in her exposed throat.
"Get up Miss Granger" he snarled as he gave a vicious tug on her arm. Wincing in pain Hermione rolled her head against the immense tree trunk, her brow glistening with sweat.
"I… I… I can't" she whimpered softly with a hoarse voice, her eyes sliding shut. By some miracle Severus was able to restrain his howl of frustration as he drew a calming breath in swiftly through his teeth and never releasing the grip on Hermione's arm crouched before her.
Hermione's brow creased into a frown as her light sensitive eyes burned with the close proximity of Severus' illuminated wand tip as he raised it to her face to inspect her injuries. Snorting in contempt he stated coolly,
"You are not seriously injured Miss Granger, now get up and stop simpering like a pathetic child."
"I am not a child!" she exclaimed as her eyes shot open and fixed a glare upon him.
"Then I suggest you stop acting like one" he sneered in response as he swiftly rose to his feet pulling her weary and aching body with him. Stumbling she crashed into his chest causing him to take a steadying step backwards, his scowl deepening all the more as he peered down at the girl clinging to his robes, her face pressed to his chest. "Kindly remove yourself from my person Miss Granger, and do pick up the pace. We have a long way to go yet, and I would like to reach the castle before the Abraxan come out to hunt" he said in a voice that chilled Hermione to the core, her body stiff and her face expressionless as she took a couple steps back from Severus and let him once again lead her through the forest.
The rest of the trek through the trees was conducted in silence, the only sound that of leaves rustling beneath their feet and her labored breaths as she struggled to keep up with Severus' long strides. With a stumbling step Hermione was thrust from the forest, scrambling quickly to regain her footing she looked up and barely managed to restrain a shriek of delight at the castle up ahead, its towering spires and glittering windows never having looked so inviting beneath the pale moonlight. Still refusing to release his death grip upon her arm, Severus drug the faltering and panting girl up the snow covered lawn leaving a series of distorted footprints in the snow behind them.
Once they finally entered the security of the main hallway Severus thrust Hermione away from him, watching with a cruel gaze as she stumbled and finally came to rest against the wall, clutching the cold stones for support. Letting his lips draw back in the most fearsome sneer Hermione had ever seen upon his face he growled barley above a whisper,
"I trust Miss Granger that you can manage to navigate the rest of the way on your own."
"Y… Yes Sir… Professor…" she gasped between ragged breaths as she watched him turn sharply on his heel and stalk away in a mass of billowing robes.