Disclaimer: not mine.

A/N: For those of you who asked….yes, I may do a SS/HG next. Still thinking about it. Now….I have a couple cute little stories to share. First…my eight year old daughter is in love with Tom Felton which means she adores Draco. She has bad boy syndrome what can I say? Well, she loves the movies and I have told her and so has my eldest(her brother) that Draco's father is a Death Eater…he is not exactly a good guy (that we know of). The first time she watched GOF was when I bought the DVD for them. The graveyard scene came on and Lucius removes his mask. Oh Merlin! My daughter (Juliet) was devastated! She started crying! She went straight to her Drama Queen mode crying that Lucius betrayed his own son ect. It was quite amusing! Then yesterday I find out that my youngest daughter (Skylar) puts her Strawberry Shortcake blanket around her at night and pretends she is a bride. She walks across her bed to this huge poster of Harry Potter and then says "You may now kiss the bride" and she friggin kisses the poster! Juliet told me she does this and Skylar admitted it. I never laughed so hard in all my life! Okay…just two funny little stories I thought I would share. Now, please review this chapter and let me know what you think.

Chapter 22

Loyalties

If you've got love in your sights

Watch out, love bites

When you make love, do you look in the mirror?

Who do you think of?

Does he look like me?

Do you tell lies?

And say that it's forever?

Do you think twice, or just touch 'n' see?

When you're alone, do you let go?

Are you wind 'n' willin' or is it just for show?

--Def Leppard

He felt her stiffen slightly. Slowly pulling back, he looked at her with that insufferable smirk on his face. Severus could see the look on her face…acceptance. As Hermione looked at him, she realized how right he was. Severus never called her a Mudblood…never. Pulling his hood back up to hide his face, Severus swept out of the corner they were in and swept down the corridor.

Pulling herself together, Hermione stepped back into the compartment she was sharing with her friends. As she sat in her seat staring out at the sun setting landscape her mind wandered to her encounter with Severus. Totally unexpected. She felt her cheeks flush at the memory.

It didn't take long, maybe seconds, before her mind wandered to Lucius. Severus was right…they didn't really know why he was missing. Somewhere deep down she couldn't bring herself to believe that he had simply disappeared to join Voldemort in some elaborate plan at getting Harry. He never "disappeared" before to do that.

Night had settled over the land like a comforting blanket by the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade station. The students piled out of the train heading toward the thestral drawn carriages. Hermione could see them now…each year more and more of the students could see them. The thought created a fire deep in the pit of her stomach. Voldemort was stealing their innocence, their childhood. Behind the trio, a dark cloaked man appeared behind them walking a few steps before disappearing behind other students. Ron shook his head.

"You reckon Snape knows how bloody spooky he is when he does that?"

Harry chuckled slightly. Hermione shook her head.

"He is not to be seen or recognized Ron, you know that."

Ron shrugged his shoulders.

"Yea, I suppose you are right."

Together they climbed into one of the carriages and soon felt the bumpy road and the rocking of the carriage as it made its way up to the castle.

Harry and Ron immediately settled into Quidditch talk with the occasional comment from Ginny. Hermione stared out the window over the grounds as they entered the gates of Hogwarts. A feeling of safety and familiarity washed over her. A feeling that soon drained from her every fiber.

Crossing the grounds toward the castle, she saw it—a figure in the melting snow. It crawled from the forest the best it could. The white blond hair obscuring its face. Hermione watched in horror as this figure collapsed on the ground…still…still as death. From across her in the carriage, Harry noticed the panic stricken look on her face and they all felt it in her voice when she screamed.

"Stop! Stop!"

As if accustomed to taking verbal commands from its passengers, the thestral pulling their carriage stopped causing all others behind them to stop. Hermione hurried out of the carriage, nearly tripping on the way. The moment her feet hit the ground she began to run. Her goal was the crumpled figure in the snow.

Behind her, students filed out of the carriages watching their Head Girl run as if her very life depended on it. Curiosity overwhelming their very spirit, the students began to follow Hermione's path.

She reached him. Later she would swear her heart stopped beating in that moment…that she had died and this was her hell. He lay on the ground—a crumpled shattered form of his former self. Blood soaked his robes, covering his hands, pouring from his head down the side of his face, matting in his white blond hair. She dropped to her knees and grabbed him as if he was a life jacket and she was drowning. Pulling his head into her lap, she began to chant.

"Wake up….wake up…please be okay…please…"

Students approached with looks of morbid curiosity, horror, and shock. No one said anything, just stared at the scene on the ground before them. Severus followed the students along side Draco. They could hear Hermione's chants of "wake up" turn nearly to screams as they approached. They both shoved their way through the crowd to see what was going on. Draco and Severus stopped dead in their tracks at what they saw.

Hermione knelt on the ground with the bloodied body of Lucius Malfoy in her lap. Arms wrapped around his upper half, head in her lap, she rocked back and forth. Her own face was smeared with his blood as she continued rocking back and forth begging him to awaken not noticing the flash of Collin's camera.

"Hermione…leave him," Ron said. "He's gone. Let's just go up to the castle and get some help…"

Severus and Draco both saw the fire flash in her eyes before Ron even saw it coming.

"No Ronald! He is not dead…"

"Hermione, you don't know that…"

"Yes I do!"

Her head quickly turned to Ginny.

"Get the students back in the carriages and into the castle…now!"

Her eyes shifted from Draco and Severus to Harry. Looking Harry in the eye, she spoke more quietly.

"Send word to McGonagall Harry. Do it now."

Harry nodded, but before he could, Severus had taken his wand out of his cloak and a white form was running across the grounds to the castle. Hermione's eyes fell to Severus. His face obscured from the cloak, she could still see a shadowy form of his features.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Together, they all stood around waiting and watching Hermione Granger covered in the blood of Lucius Malfoy rocking his still form.

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Hermione felt numb as she stood there. She had refused to leave Lucius once they got him to Madame Pomfrey. He was now cleaned up, bandaged up and deep in sleep for a few days while Hermione looked down at him. Blood stained her clothing, smeared on her face and hands, but she seemed not to notice. The Headmistress stood behind her placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Granger, go clean yourself up and get some rest. You may visit him in the morning before classes."

Hermione's eyes slowly looked to her Headmistress and then back down at Lucius. Nodding her head, she turned and walked toward Harry and Ron who were waiting by the door of the hospital wing for her. She walked out leaving Severus and Draco with Lucius.

Severus watched the bloodied girl leave and then looked down at his old companion. In Severus' mind, loyalties were being questioned.

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The owl carrying the Daily Prophet landed in front of Hermione a couple of days later. Swallowing her kippers down with her pumpkin juice, she reached into her bag for the sickles she needed. Placing them in the owl's pouch, she unrolled the Prophet. There he was on the front page. Hermione had been expecting it…waiting on it even. The Order, despite its history with the ministry still had connection within it and those connections came in useful at times. Severus Snape's picture scowled on the front page.

With a smile, Hermione folded the paper up. Grabbing her bag as she stood she looked at Harry and Ron.

"I'll meet you guys outside the potions class. I'm going to run up to the hospital wing for a minute."

Harry nodded, but Ron looked as if he were going to be ill. As she walked off, Ron leaned over to Harry.

"I don't like this Harry. Not one bit."

Hermione heard Ron, but ignored him. She really was not in any mood to fight with him…again. The corridors were deserted. Most students were still at breakfast. As Hermione turned a corner, a scuffling sound pulled her attention toward a statue. Collin Creevey was running from behind it and Draco Malfoy stepped out, placing something in his pocket. She watched him warily as he walked back toward the Great Hall. Hermione walked toward the hospital wing deep in thought and at war within herself. Her life at Hogwarts…in the wizarding world had always been black and white. One was either on the side of the Order or on the side of Voldemort. Good versus evil. Slowly, those lines were blurring into a myriad shades of grey.

Stepping into the hospital wing, she saw the curtain drawn around the bed on the other side of the room. Walking across the room and stepping behind the curtain, she saw Severus sitting in one of the two chairs that sat next to Lucius' bed. She plopped the paper into his lap as she sat down.

"I see your… 'disguise' is no longer needed."

Glancing at the paper, he handed it back to her with his 'what is it now, Granger' look.

"No," Hermione responded to his silence. "I suppose you won't give up hiding in that black cloak. You do love frightening the weak."

"As do you Miss Granger."

A snort of laughter came from Hermione. Severus turned to look at her, but her attention had drifted to something or someone else. Her eyes were resting on Lucius' form lying in the hospital bed. She stood up and stepped closer to the bed. Lucius looked so peaceful lying there. The blood was gone from his hair. Bruises marred various parts of his exposed flesh. He looked paler than usual and that very fact seemed to accent the cut that traveled from his hairline on the right side down to his jaw line where it seemed to trace it a couple of inches. It would leave a very light scar…Madame Pomfrey had already said as much. A piece of hair lay out of place, across Lucius' forehead. Reaching out, she gently brushed the hair from his face.

"He hasn't shown any sign of waking," Hermione asked, still watching Lucius.

She knew the question agitated Severus. She could tell by the sound of the deep breath he took before answering and the sound of him shifting in his chair.

"No. Madame Pomfrey has stopped administering the dreamless sleep potion so it should be any time now."

She nodded and turned around from the bed to pick up her bag. Severus remained in the chair, his elbows resting on the arms, his hands together forming a steeple, resting his chin on the tips. He watched Hermione bend down to lift up her bag…watched the way the skirt of her uniform rose slightly on her thigh and swung forward. He watched the material caressing her skin and slowly he sat back in his chair.

As Hermione tossed her bag on her shoulder, she looked at Severus sitting back in the chair.

"Have you eaten," she asked him with a tinge of concern lacing her words.

His eyes traveled up and down her body as he shook his head in response. Hermione sighed in exasperation of Severus obvious disregard for his own health.

"I have to get to potions right now, but I will bring you some food after."

She started to walk away, but cringed. Would the reminder that Severus no longer taught even potions bother him?

"Sorry," she said. "I…well…I…its just…"

His eyes continued to travel over her as she fidgeted.

"Go to class, Miss Granger and thank your lucky stars that I am no longer teaching it"

Eyeing him warily Hermione left the curtained off area heading out the door to class. The moment she was gone, the moment the sound of her feet faded away, Severus heard his voice. It was low and weak, but still held the demand and superiority it always had.

"Like what you see Severus?"

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Lucius felt like a caged animal. Madame Pomfrey would not let him leave for another day and Hermione Granger stood before him just looking at him. It was disturbing him to say the least. Sitting up in bed, looking as aristocratic as ever despite the damage that was still healing, he looked down his nose at her.

"I am not here for display Miss Granger."

Hermione blinked and looked away. It was a relief to see him awake and back to his old cruel self…as warped as that sounds. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she turned her head back toward Lucius. Her eyes traced the cut that was slowly fading to a scar. Tentatively, she reached out a finger and traced the mark along his hairline and jaw. Lucius appeared to flinch at her touch. She stopped and pulled her hand away remembering their last full conversation…the conversation in the gardens before everything went to hell. She knew why he flinched. Turning her head, she looked back at Severus sitting in the chair.

'…I never called you a Mudblood.'

Turning back to Lucius, she smiled.

"Oh, yes, that is right. I am inferior…dirty even. My apologies, Professor."

She stood up from the bed and walked toward the two chairs where her bag sat again. Lucius watched his old friend again. He watched Severus watch Hermione with the look of a hungry predator until she was out of sight. A sneer of pure disgust appeared on Lucius' face.

"Really Severus…could you do no better than that Mudblood?"

Severus said nothing as his eyebrow arched in amusement.

"I do not know what you mean, Lucius."

Lucius looked down his nose at Severus and chuckled in an oh so sarcastic way.

"Honestly Severus. You were sexually assaulting the girl without her so much as being aware of it. I might have to start questioning your loyalties."

Severus stood. Amusement was gone from his face, replaced with hatred.

"And I yours Lucius." A malicious smile formed on Severus' mouth. "The Dark Lord did not kill you. It is only a matter of time before he will ask for proof of your allegiance to him…you will be forced to prove your loyalty Lucius. What part will Miss Granger play in that?"

Without waiting for a response, Severus threw the hood of his cloak up and swept from the hospital wing.

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Draco was waiting for Hermione outside the DADA classroom. The trio approached the classroom, slowing their pace when they noticed Draco standing there…eyes set on Hermione. Keeping his eyes on Hermione, Draco spoke to the boys.

"I need a word with Granger."

Harry and Ron both looked to Hermione as if asking if she were okay with this. With a small appreciative smile to the boys, she nodded her head. Her and Draco watched Harry and Ron walk into the classroom. When the door closed, Draco turned back to Hermione.

"Remus seems to think I had no right to say what I did."

Hermione nodded her head for him to continue.

"I'll admit I may have been a bit…harsh. What I said is true though—this is a war and with war comes sacrifice. Father obviously sees something worthy in you." Draco shrugged his shoulders and turned into the classroom. Shaking her head, Hermione stepped into the classroom.

Lucius was sitting at his desk watching the students slowly fill up the classroom. Eyes wandered to him and only lingered for seconds before looking away. He watched Harry and Ron walk in and take their seats, but with no sign of Hermione. Then he saw his son walk in followed by Hermione. Hermione was shaking her head slightly as if in disbelief over something his son probably did. When she sat down between the boys, they immediately leaned over to speak with her. Lucius didn't have to hear them to know they were concerned…it was written on their faces.

He stood in order to bring the class to order and begin. Draco stood on the other side of his desk.

"Yes, Draco?"

Draco said nothing to his father. Placing something on his father's desk, he turned and walked to his own seat. Words were not necessary for what he was trying to show his father. Waiting to address the class, Lucius looked down on his desk at what his son left for him. The first thought that came to mind was not a pleasant one…necessarily.

Someone should strangle Creevey with his own camera strap.

The picture could not be referred to as simple. It was a moment in time…a very complicated moment Lucius could have lived without knowing. Hermione was on the ground…on her knees holding an unconscious Lucius. He paled slightly at the sight of Hermione covered in his blood.

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"The boy needs to be stopped," Lucius spoke in an overly controlled and silky voice.

Headmistress McGonagall looked down at the picture once again.

"I admit that was rather distasteful of the boy. I will have a word with him."

Lucius looked at McGonagall as if she had just sprouted the head of Albus Dumbledore.

"I should hope you would do more than just speak with the boy."

"Lucius," McGonagall said with a warning tone to her voice. With a slight nod of his head, Lucius left the Headmistress' office followed by the silent spectator.

"What do you want Severus," Lucius asked as he headed down the hall toward his own quarters.

Severus stepped out of the shadows, cloak obscuring his presence again.

"What is it that vexes you more Lucius? The fact that the boy took the picture or the fact that you had to see it?"

Lucius said nothing at first, maintaining an impassive face. Severus shook his head in disbelief.

"You didn't see her Lucius. That picture does not give justice to the horror of that night. She refused to leave your side…" Severus chuckled slightly. "Not that you truly care. Now, I must be off. I have somewhere to be."

Lucius watched his friend sweep down the corridor. Sighing, Lucius pulled out the mirror he still had. The mirror surface seemed to be a swirling fog before the vision of the girl in question appeared. From the surroundings it would appear that she was in the library. Her forehead scrunched up in thought, she stopped writing and began leafing through a book. This was the girl from his past, the girl who spent her life in the wizarding world hating him and he hating her…she was a Mudblood…this was the girl that held his bloody body refusing to leave his side.

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Hermione looked around her. Harry and Ron were at Quidditch practice, having left Hermione in the library. The sun had gone down creating the darkened corner Hermione worked diligently in. The candelabra sitting near her cast her in an amber glow. The world around her had faded into night as she worked. Glancing around she noticed most of the library had been emptied of its occupants having decided they studied enough.

Her eyes darted around nervously. She had that feeling again…the feeling of being watched. As if her every move was being monitored and measured. Standing up, she placed her school bag in her seat and began placing her books back inside. Leaning across the table to gather a book she felt it…arms wrapping around her.

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Severus stood in the shadows of the corner…watching. From across the area of the library he was in, he saw another pair of eyes watching—a pair of cold grey ones. He watched her fingers, dropping her quill, slowly move up to her neck—rubbing the muscles. He knew she could feel the eyes on her when she stopped and looked around with that curious look he found so insufferable when he was her professor. She stood up and bent over the table to get a book. Severus' eyes met Lucius' across the area. Lucius' eyes narrowed on him causing him to smirk. Looking back at Hermione his thoughts wandered. He wasn't her professor. His eyes raked over her form reaching for the book. With one last look to Lucius, he reached out, wrapping his arm around her waist from behind…pulling her into the shadows with him.

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It was there and then Lucius began to seriously question Severus Snape's loyalty—watching him step out of the shadows momentarily, hidden in his black cloak. It was watching Severus Snape's hands on Hermione that did it. It was watching Snape's large hands caressing Hermione's small delicate neck as his mouth assaulted hers that Lucius felt an undeniable hatred for his old friend.