Disclaimer: I don't own anything anybody else does.

The sky was dense and coated with a thick grey fog making it impossible to see anything at all out of my window that morning. Even with the curtains drawn it didn't let in much light. I sighed deeply, it looked like it was going to be a dull, hard day.

I turned to see Ginny still fast asleep, her red hair spread out and blending in with her Gryffindor scarlet pillow. She looked angelic with her eyes closed and a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips. I laughed softly before picking up my wand and wandered down the spiral staircase into the warm, cosy common room. Now smiling as breathed in the familiar warm ever so slightly smoky (from the fire) scent of the room, I rested my hands on the back of a soft velvety sofa and listened to the slight crackling of the fire that lit up the otherwise darkened room.

My thoughts were far, far away, playing what if. Stupid, I know. But maybe, just maybe…

After a few minutes I was jolted back to reality by a sudden flood of bright light. I turned quickly my wand outstretched, a natural instinct, to see only Ginny stood pulling open the curtains. Dropping my wand arm and I ambled leisurely over to her side.

"You're up early Gin. How did you sleep?" I greeted her with an attempt at a cheery smile to go with it. I know it was forced and Ginny could tell, but she didn't comment.

"I slept great thanks Hermione. And, though your observations don't seem to have noted it, I do tend to get up early." She smiled at me to show she was only joking. "Though maybe not as early as you." She added as an afterthought.

I laughed softly and looked up at her from where I stood. She smirked down at me to which I replied with a mock glare.

"Aww, little Hermione."

"Oh shut up Ginny! Just because you're taller than me." I said exasperatedly. "Just like everyone else." Muttering under my breath as I added the last thought.

Ginny laughed at me again. "Come on, lets go get some breakfast." She called over her shoulder, having strode over to the entrance hole. I followed just as her long, dark red hair whipped out of the common room and out of sight.

"Hey, Ginny! Wait up!" I called power walking in a way I usually reserve for being late to lessons.

She stopped to wait and smirked down at me again. "Aww. Can your little legs not keep up Hermione?" She teased before running off down the corridor where I knew she would hide somewhere and jump out when I least expect it.

"AARRGH!" Ginny squealed at me a couple of minutes later, running from inside a broom closet and proving me right.

I raised an eyebrow and sauntered into the great hall whilst flashing a quick grin over my shoulder. Ginny was looking faintly disappointed and rather confused.

"Oy," she grabbed my shoulder, "how did you know I was there?"

I laughed softly, "Gin, eve time you go ahead of me down here you always jump out at me from that particular broom closet!"

"Hmph, regular Professor Trelawny you are." Ginny mutter under her breath. I gave her a swift glare then.

"You might want to remember Ginny, I am teaching you later on, I have it in my power to make things very unpleasant for you so you may want to reconsider when delivering insults to me."

Ginny laughed at my comment but she did shut up about the Trelawny thing so we continued down our long house table till we got to our usual seats. I collapsed into a chair and pulled some toast towards me. Ginny shoved the pot of marmalade at me along with a knife and some butter.

"And you lecture me on predicting what you're going to do?" I commented lightly with a slightly incredulous expression.

With a slight giggle Ginny replied "oh, you're so predictable 'Mione!"

I replied with a roll of my eyes.

A little while later we were wandering about the corridors with no particular purpose or course. Ginny had 'suggested' that we go for a little walk around the castle to 'explore' or translated from Ginny language she wanted to get me on my own a away from the boys so she could question me on my love life (or lack of).

She insists on doing this at least once a week, half the time she even gets Lavender to corner me with her! Every time I explain very patiently that I don't fancy anybody and I don't have a secret boyfriend. I don't know where they got that one from, I guess not telling everyone about going to the Yule Ball with Victor gave them ideas. Though I did tell Ginny so I'm not sure what she thinks is going on. I'm telling you, that girl has a twisted mind.

I swear over the summer when I came to stay at the Weasley's she spent every single minute trying to get me and one of her brothers together. Most of the time it was Ron, however when Fred and George came to stay she was definitely pushing me towards them! That, of course, was when she wasn't hiding in our room or playing Quidditch and just generally avoiding 'Phlegm' like the plague.

After assuring Ginny for what must be the hundredth time that I really don't fancy anyone and I really haven't 'gone and got myself a boyfriend without telling her' as she so nicely put it we turned to go back to Gryffindor tower, only to find that neither of us had any idea where we were.

"Oops!" Cried Ginny not sounding in the least bit worried.

"Oops? Oops! Ginny, we have classes today! I have to teach, we cannot be late!" Even to me I sounded a bit over the top, but this was really bad and all she could say was oops!

Ginny started walking down a long corridor that I really didn't recognise staring at each of the blank stone walls in turn. It were lit by lanterns at systematic points along each wall as there was no windows anywhere.

"Here we are." Ginny had stopped outside the first door she came across. Pushing it open she looked around, "oh, I know where we are!" She called over her shoulder to me.

"I've had a charms lesson in here once. Come on if we just carry on walking down there" she indicated down the bleak corridor. "Then we should end up near the potions rooms."

Yes, because we really want to end up down there, I thought miserably. I brings back too many unpleasant memories of Snape and the Slytherines. Particularly one blonde ferret whom I absolutely loathe. Who as good as killed Dumbledore. Who wasn't quite evil enough to do it in the end. No, no, he was just a coward. He let all the death eaters into Hogwarts then cornered Dumbledore for Snape to kill, its not like just because he didn't actually kill Dumbledore he wasn't directly responsible for his death.

"Hermione?"

I jumped at the sound of Ginny's voice snapping me out of my reverie for the second time this morning.

"Err, are you coming or not?" She inquired.

I rolled my eyes and, with an irritated sigh I whipped around and led the way down the corridor at top speed.

When we at last graced ground that I actually recognised I almost jumped for joy. I hate not knowing where I am, it's like it is uncontrollable, like I'm ignorant of what is happening to me. And that is the worst feeling ever. To know something is happening to you or people close to you and not knowing what it is or not being able to do anything about it, it's horrible. There's no words to describe the pain of thinking it's your fault something happened because you didn't do anything, that's why this course is so wonderful. We are doing something. I've thought that so many time since we arrived, it's like I'm trying to engrave it onto the inside of my brain.

We made our way past the potions rooms that I recognise clearly. Memories of Snape and Malfoy came flooding back into my head and I once again fought the internal battle of Malfoy's innocence. Or lack of.

I suddenly noticed that the sound of Ginny's feet echoing along with mine had silenced. I titled my head inquisitively at her and opened my mouth to ask, but she pressed a long, slim, pale finger to her lips to silence me. She then jabbed her hand over her shoulder to indicate the door of Snape's old office, she stepped closer to it and pressed her ear to the hard, dark wood of the barricade.

"Damn!" She swore softly under her breath. Then she shoved her hand inside the pocket of her robes and pulled out a tangle of long fleshy coloured strings and began to disentangle them. She was startlingly quick, worrying I thought I'll ask her later, then she handed one to me after whispering a word of command to it. I gave her a worried 'we really shouldn't be doing this' look and laid the string down next to me.

Oh, alright, I couldn't resist, Ginny's expression of confusion and growing dread was just too tempting. After a few seconds I picked up the string and thrust it into my ear jumping slightly as voices suddenly made themselves clear and spoke as though they were right next to me.

"Damn, I dropped it!" A distinctly masculine and slightly course voice met my ears.

"Ssh, we don't want people hearing us now do we? Pick it up and be quick, this potion is very important, we can't afford to let it go wrong."

A soft snort was heard; "maybe I wouldn't drop things if it wasn't so bloody cold! Can't we cast a heating spell or something? It's freezing! And I'm sure that I've caught a cold."

"I would of thought you'd be used to it by now, after all, you have lived in that awful manor of yours for most of your life. It's much colder there." The second voice was cold and harsh, though I could detect a slight flicker of worry.

"There we had decent clothes!"

"Oh, come on Draco! What do you expect, silk lined velvet cloaks and boots made of the finest leather? We're on the run form the rest of the world for gods sake. You can't just pop into Madam Malkins for a quick robe fitting you know."

A scream suddenly came from next to me.

"Oh my god! Hermione! It's Draco Malfoy! And Snape! In our school, they've come back!"

I stared in horror at her. Not for the revelation she'd just made, I'd already worked that one out. No, it was the volume of her voice. All had gone deadly quiet inside the room containing the two most evil men, next to Voldemort, in my opinion in the rest of the wizarding world.

I yanked the string from my ear, grabbed Ginny's hand and ran pulling her along after me.

The heavy door us burst open with a huge bang and we heard two pairs of feet pounding along behind us.

"Run!" I screamed. At Ginny, maybe at myself to, I don't know, I was totally panic stricken. Draco Malfoy! And Snape! At Hogwarts! How! It just didn't make sense, how did they mange to get back into the school. And What did Snape mean, 'on the run from the rest of the world'? Surely they were with Voldemort? Why would they not be?

A scream alerted me instantly. Ginny was lying sprawled on the floor a few feet back.

"Ooh, gets them every time!" Malfoy's drawling voice cried behind me making me want to wring his scrawny neck. "Trip jinx Weasley! Got your Mudblood filth of a boyfriend too!"

I felt my anger explode inside of me. Whipping round I faced them, my wand raised and a curse half formed in my mouth.

"Expeliarmus!" Snape called and my wand flew from my hand to be caught, deftly in the palm of Snape's hand.

So, Ginny was still sprawled on the floor staring up at us with terrified eyes, Malfoy stood a few feet away with a satisfied but slightly nervous smile, Snape stood glowering, my wand held captive by him. And I was stood, unarmed and petrified with no chance of self-defence.

A/N I'm really sorry for the spelling mistakes in the last chapter, also for the switch from first to second person. I can't remember what I was doing, but it made since at the time. Hopefully this will be better. I'm sorry I didn't get it up earlier, but I've been really busy.
SparkleBlack: I'm sorry about the spelling mistakes, I must have forgotten to spellcheck it. I'll try and correct them. Well Draco's made his first apearence, and that was a good suggestion about looking to the other side of the war. I might do it, but not for a few chapters and most of this story is going to be Hermione's POV. Thanks for reviewing!
dramioneshipper: I've got Draco in! lol. He's definatley going to be making an apearence at the party, though I'm not sure what as, suggestions would be very much appreciated! Thanks for reviewing!
1madcat: I've updated as soon as I could, the next chapter should be up in about a week, though I have my mock SAT's this week so we've got a lot of homework. Thanks for reviewing!
I've noticed that I've got over 700 hits on my story as a whole but only 17 reviews? I'm really grateful to my reviewers but if you are reading this and you're not planning on reviewing please do. Even if you hate it, write in and tell me what I can improve. Thanks for reading,

Miss Moonshadow