Disclaimer: We all know this is not mine.

A/N: Please oh please review. Oh yes, did anyone else stop getting any e-mail alerts? Not a single review came to my mailbox….I had to check my settings, but they were enabled so just curious if anyone else is having this problem. Please review anyway….let me know what you think. Oh….and voting begins: my next fic—would you like another LM/HG or a SS/HG? Let the voting begin!

Chapter 23

Hogsmeade

I could say to you

A bitter word or two

There's no stopping now

Just get it out in the air

Heard it through the fog

And hurt by it all

I'd take it back today

But its' out of my hands…

--Finger Eleven

Slowly Hermione's hands made their way to Severus' chest. She pushed gently, hoping she would not need to become overly physical to get him off her. Not that her becoming overly physical meant much…he was a rather large man in comparison to her. It wasn't just that. She didn't want to create a scene and she didn't want Snape trying to snog her in the library to be the next rumor running about the school. Deciding a little more force was necessary, she pushed again.

"Severus…what do you think you are doing?"

Reluctantly, Severus took a step back. Hermione turned toward the table again when she heard Severus' voice.

"I should think that was obvious."

Taking a deep sigh she looked up…into the face of Lucius Malfoy. He stood on the other side of the table, face impassionate, eyes darting from Hermione to Severus. Hermione felt frozen in Lucius' gaze. A chill ran down her spine.

"Miss Granger, detention tomorrow night…7 o'clock."

His voice held nothing…no emotion what so ever. With a growl of disbelief and frustration, she snatched her bag off her chair and stormed from the library ignoring the disproving look from Madame Pince. In the meantime, Lucius said nothing to Severus…not one word. Instead, Lucius turned to walk off just as his mark began to burn. From the corner of his eye, he saw the barely visible flinch of Severus. His was burning too. Lucius' eyes slowly looked to Severus.

"Tell me Severus, does your little friend know you bare the mark she so hates?"

Falling in step with Lucius, Severus looked at his companion.

"She's known since she was fourteen years old, Lucius."

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Lord Voldemort stared into the eyes of Lucius Malfoy…a sickly smile graced his lips.

"Its time Lucius. Time to redeem yourself for your last transgression."

Lucius held his breath as Lord Voldemort bent down to look him in the face better.

"You will take her, Lucius," he whispered. "Take her and keep her at the manor." Voldemort stood up to full height again. "And remove the wards from the manor Lucius."

"Yes, my lord."

"You have a week, Lucius. If you do not do this…if you do not succeed, your death will not be quick. I should think it would be easy to lure her away given your…history with the girl."

Lucius looked up feeling the panic rush through him.

"My lord, I do not…"

"Silence! Do not insult my intelligence Lucius. The girl followed you and watched you receive your Dark Mark, she will follow you to the manor."

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Hermione stood before her friends fidgeting nervously with her hands. Harry and Ron's blank stares were not improving her disposition. Ron's face slowly began to turn an obscene shade of red.

"Let me get this straight," he said with barely contained anger. "I could never snog you, but you got detention for snogging Snape?" He was on his feet yelling now. Hermione was thanking Merlin that most everyone was at dinner.

"Not exactly," she stated in a rather shaky voice.

"You either did or you didn't, Hermione."

She took a deep breath, trying desperately to keep calm.

"I pushed him away, Ron. It's what I should have done the first time."

Hermione cringed, realizing what she had said. Ron's face grew even redder if that were possible and Harry now held narrowed eyes on her as if seeing her for the first time.

"The first time," Ron screamed at her. "I couldn't come near you and yet you snog Snape twice."

Hermione could no longer take Harry's silence and Ron's screams. Why were they not listening to what she was saying exactly? The sound of Ron's voice inside her head at its highest decibel pushed her too far.

"Yes, Ronald! Twice! And he didn't slobber on me like some inexperienced child who doesn't know what to do!"

The moment she said those words her hand clasped onto her mouth in disbelief at what she had just yelled back to him. Ron had ceased all movement, just looking at her. A pin could have dropped in the common room and it would have sounded like an anvil falling from the highest tower. Without a word, Ron left for dinner. Harry stood up from the sofa he was sitting on. He still held that look—as if Hermione was someone he really didn't know.

"Of all the people," Harry spoke softly. With his hands in his pocket he looked down and then back up at Hermione. "I never pegged you as a traitor Hermione, but as always, you proved us wrong."

He stepped through the portrait hole leaving Hermione in the common room alone. She stood there watching the portrait close with one thought filling her head.

I am going to kill Severus Snape.

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Dinner was a horrid affair. When Hermione entered the Great Hall Harry and Ron took one glance at her and then proceeded to ignore her presence. Looking around the Great Hall she felt her appetite waning. Turning around, she left the Great Hall.

At the head table, Lucius watched her enter and noticed the tension existing between the girl and her friends. When she left instead of taking a seat, he rose from his own chair bidding everyone a good evening.

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As Lucius approached his classroom, he noticed Hermione sitting on the floor just outside the door. Slowly walking up to her, he looked down his nose at her. She stood up with a tinge of agitation in her movements. He stood there just watching her rise from the ground, brushing any dust and dirt off her robes. Her eyes looked up at his when she reached her full height. Her agitation grew. This was her enemy, he had explained that to her. She knew this when she went into the past, but at least she had Harry and Ron to talk to. Now she didn't even have them. To Harry and Ron she was a traitor. To Lucius she was the dirty enemy.

With a flick of his wand, the classroom unlocked permitting Hermione inside. As they walked in Lucius pointed at a desk in the middle of the classroom.

"Sit there."

Without protesting, she sat down. He pointed at the chalkboard and words appeared.

"You will write these lines until I say you have done enough."

Hermione read what she was suppose to write over and over again. 'I will not fraternize with the enemy.' Her eyes looked toward Lucius who seemed to be standing a few desks away waiting for her reaction.

"Enemy," she asked.

Walking toward her, he kept his nose turned up and his eyes on her. Standing in front of her desk, he reached out grabbing her arm. Forcing her sleeve up, he looked at her arm and smirked.

"I see no Dark Mark, yet you were snogging your ex-professor in the library. You do not share the Mark…you are the enemy."

She jerked her arm out of his grip. He heard a slight sniffle come from her as she dipped her quill in her ink and began writing out her lines. Satisfied that not another word would come from her, Lucius turned toward his own desk.

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Thunder rolled across the sky. Severus stood in Lucius' office observing his surroundings. Lucius appeared to be trying to ignore him. The fire dancing in the fireplace gave all the hardened features of Lucius' office a soft glow.

"Everything is ready? The wards have been removed?"

Lucius stopped writing and looked up at Severus, sneering.

"Do not worry, Severus. Your little girlfriend will not be harmed…much."

The sound of Severus' laughter, odd to those who did not know him well, frustrated Lucius to no end.

"My girlfriend, Lucius?"

Lucius looked at Severus waiting for him to continue.

"She is not my girlfriend."

Lucius chuckled slightly as he stood up to gather his cloak.

"Forgive me, Severus, friend, but your recent actions says otherwise."

Lucius threw his cloak over his shoulders doing up the serpent clasp.

"Ah, Lucius. The library. Tell me, Lucius, whose face do you suppose she saw when she closed her eyes? Do you honestly believe it to be mine? I was simply reaping the benefits of your dissent."

Lucius' eyes narrowed onto Severus. Every ounce of anger for his so-called friend was pouring off him in waves. Severus could feel it and he smiled slightly about it…enjoying watching the pureblooded aristocrat squirm when faced with truth. Lucius, grabbing his serpent tipped cane, began to walk passed Severus, but stopped next to him instead. Turning his head slightly, Lucius spoke to Severus in a very cool, refined, controlled voice.

"I'd watch my back if I were you Severus. You never know when there is a traitor in your midst…unfortunately, I learned that one the hard way."

Severus cocked an eyebrow and nodded his head slightly.

"Indeed, Lucius. You never know."

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The thunder rolled across the sky. Hermione looked up to the dark clouds hovering above threatening to spill its contents. She wasn't yet in the village and wondered if she would make it before the rain started. Looking around her, she noticed various Hogwarts students gathered with friends. Looking straight ahead, she began a list of things she needed in her mind trying not to think about her lack of companionship on this Hogsmeade weekend.

"Bloody hell," she mumbled to herself, as the rain broke free from the clouds. The rain did not start slow, but come down suddenly and quickly—like a giant waterfall crashing down into the river. She had just reached the village when she found herself drenched by the rain. Most of the students were already fully in the village and dove for cover inside the buildings. Hermione still stood five feet from the first building. Despite being soaked immediately, she reached into her cloak and pulled out her wand.

The spell, on the tip of her tongue, was never released.

A cold hand wrapped around her wrist holding it so tight she felt the circulation being shut off. Instinctively, her hand opened, dropping her wand.

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Severus stood out by the lake in the rain. The sun was setting and the rain was continuing. He watched the raindrops plunge into the lake creating the expanding ripples…a symbol…a sign…a lesson…the stone in the water metaphor. Silently, Severus wondered if Voldemort was ever taught that lesson in the orphanage he was raised in. Why did Dumbledore never try to teach him this as a child? He heard the sound of raging footsteps rushing toward him. The ripple effect from his stone in the water. Turning around, he saw Harry running toward him and he knew why. The whole castle was in an uproar over the missing Head Girl.

"What have you done with her," Harry yelled.

Severus looked lazily at Harry. With a swish of his wand, Severus threw off whatever it was Harry was trying to do. A blue light flew off course hitting a tree causing a limb to sever from its trunk and crash to the ground.

"Still not closing your mind I see."