Six:
"Miss Granger, Miss Carson." Lucius nodded to each woman in turn after he had appeared in the middle of their crossfire and narrowly misses being punched viciously by the petite brunette that was now glaring at him.
"Lucius." Hermione greeted him curtly as she still didn't trust him.
"Hello, good-looking." Sandy winked, "Where's your friend?"
"Severus will be--"
"I am here." Severus' voice came from the door.
He stalked across the room to them. Hermione gave a tiny smile in greeting and he acknowledged her with a small nod. He then nodded again to Sandy and Lucius and they all sat down in the chairs Hermione had hurriedly conjured next to the fireplace.
"Albus tells us you work with an American resistance team?" Lucius asked, getting right to business.
"Yes, our work is slightly different from your own…" Sandy supplied.
"How so?"
"Our job centers around the more…rough members of the Dark Side. Vampires mostly, but the occasional Demon and such as well." Hermione said casually.
"Which explains the extensive training."
"Vampires are resilient little bastards. They just don't die easily." Hermione grinned.
"They don't like being dusted." Sandy agreed.
"So, you deal with the Undead as well as the Death Eaters?" Severus asked blankly.
"Yup." Sandy nodded, "Of course, there was that guy who wanted to rule the world…"
Hermione snorted, "He thought he'd start with New York City." She rolled her eyes.
"He was a talker, too. Always going on about what he would do once we untied him." Sandy mused.
"He was a talker with nothing important to say." Hermione grumbled.
"How many are in your…organization?" Severus asked.
"About thirty students, all around Sandy's age but she's by far the best." Hermione said proudly, "and about forty Elders, who either teach or organize as well as patrol."
"And you are an Elder?" Lucius inquired curiously.
"I am a Leader. I train Sandy here, as well as command some of our ranks. There are three other Leaders." Hermione explained, "Two are middle-aged men with their heads up their Asses. The other is Oliver Wood. He is the Captain, though."
"How does someone of Wood's age outrank two middle-aged men?" Lucius asked suspiciously.
"Wood is brilliant, and a hard worker. The other two have their heads so far up their Asses they think only of making themselves look good. Wood outranked them when Jeremiah fucked up a mission and Oliver did some major damage control to cover his ass." Hermione explained. "He had only been out of Hogwarts a few years then. Not many of our students start out when they're still in school."
"I am one of the students who still attends school. The nuns there don't like Danger very much." Sandy grinned.
"Danger?" Severus asked silkily.
Before Hermione could let out a biting comment on the nickname Wood had laughingly delegated her when he was her trainer, the door to her room burst open and Rain Zabini ran in. The blonde third year was panting, and she clutched the wall for balance as she gasped for air. Her bright green eyes were open wide, and she quickly surveyed the occupants of the room with confusion.
"Professors, Rose Parkinson and Cassie Ward are dueling in the corridor." she gasped "Cassie started bleeding and---"
Severus and Hermione glanced at each other. They each ran for the door at the same time. Severus stopped long enough to let Hermione through. Rain Zabini stared at Lucius for another moment, and then the girl took one last deep breath and followed her Professors at a run, clutching her side.