A/N Thanks guys for all the positive reviews so far and all the reads. Excited to see where the story goes!

Hermione's disposition had improved greatly since the departure of her Professor. She thought she might be going insane, had truly feared it, and it had only been a few hours. It seemed like every waking moment in his presence had been a jumble of his own thoughts pushing hers out and it was almost impossible to discern which one of his wants to listen to.

There were some, thankfully, that were louder than others, that were easier to understand and she had been more inclined to follow those. And it felt like relief when she did, as if she were truly meant to \ do these small things to make herself happy.

Once he left, the voices had stopped completely, and she was finally left alone, in his study to mull over absolutely everything.

The tattoo was the least of her problems. Despite the jewels, it didn't react in any way differently, from what she could tell, from any normal tattoo. She was done trying to remove the jewels as they seemed to be only irritated when she did. Professor Snape had explained the significance – his family crest. It was rather detailed and medieval in style, thin lines. A consort crown, a very detailed text of runes of some sort, and what looked to be like wheat wisps or grass of some sort coming out of the crown tips. She had a million questions about it now that she could think straight.

She had a million questions about a lot of things. She knew her professor was hiding something from her - every time she breached the subject of Ron or Harry she would be forced to let the topic go. They'd been on their own for a month – a whole month, trying to start their search for Horcruxes. According to Harry, two were already destroyed, a ring and the diary that had almost killed Ginny in second year. When she thought about it, Professor Quirrell had been one as well. But they hadn't been any closer when she was taken – to finding the original locket or figuring out what or where the rest of them were.

She had already been here for a whole day and the thought made her uneasy. She had to help Harry, to find him somehow. But every time she tried reaching for the handle of the door, an overwhelming pain crippled her spine and she automatically leapt away from any more attempts. He had ordered her to stay here.

And what of her place here? Surely she was in danger with the likes of Snape? He had killed Dumbledore. Why shouldn't he kill her as well? She'd heard that no muggle borns were allowed back at school, so she'd have to be the only one. Would he keep her here? Would he let her take classes? Would he let her go?

To pass the time and to quench her buzzing mind, she had started looking through his personal library, trying to find any mention of this curse she had been under, but nothing at all. She'd surrendered to a copy of Ancient Wandlore in Mesopotamia when an irate Professor McGonagall and a stone faced Professor Snape came in suddenly.

"How can you sit there, while they – they ruin this school?"

"I have little authority."

"Severus you are the headmaster-"

"Hush." He silenced her upon seeing Hermione. McGonagall schooled her affronted reaction and smiled warmly at the girl. Seeing the transfiguration professor was the only reason she hadn't completely given in to panicked fear, and now seeing her again made her feel much better about everything.

"How are you dear?"

"I'm not sure." It was honest. She was confused beyond a doubt.

The older woman took a seat beside the young girl and tentatively patted her hand.

"By now I'm sure Professor Snape has told you about – "

"My curse?"

"Yes dear. We're doing everything we can to find a solution." There was a small eerie silence between the three, as the older man stood by the fire, listening but not intervening. They both looked sullen, defeated and Hermione couldn't help herself asking.

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, what is the state of the school now, as it stands?"

"A terrible, terrible mess!" McGonagall exclaimed. Hermione's hand of its own accord whipped out and smacked the older woman on her arm in an irate fashion. Hermione retrieved her hand and covered it over her mouth with wide eyes.

"Looks like you should be more careful Minerva." Severus Snape stated as a small smirk crept upon him.

"I am so sorry Professor, I didn't mean to-"

"I know Miss Granger." She turned to her colleague with narrowed eyes. "Watch yourself Severus. Your deepest desires aren't secrets anymore."

"It is no secret that your mouth is bigger than your-"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Please Professors." Hermione interjected, despite the feebleness in which she felt.

"The school is still functioning. With some additions." With all the fuel supporting her accusations, McGonagall seemed comfortable around Professor Snape. She trusted the man. "There aren't any muggles allowed in the school anymore, no one knows you're here Miss Granger, it would be best if it stayed as such."

Professor Snape said little as McGonagall spoke with her. It was more of a reassuring conversation than any informative discussion. The potions master did not leave, but he might as well have been absent. He paid little attention to the girl or his colleague until McGonagall finally got up and brushed biscuit crumbs from her robes.

"Leaving so soon Minerva?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Be more careful about what you say Minerva, you have few friends here."

"You have no control over me, Severus."

The girl sat timidly on the couch, unsure of what to do. She could hear tiny whispers of his voice on the outskirts of her mind but she couldn't understand them. He only stared in to the fire, his hand on the mantle, supporting his weight, a small tumbler in his hand. He was in deep thought, oblivious to her for this small amount of time, unattainable. She put her tea cup down and the clinking of the china brought him back to her.

"I'm very sorry for the state of affairs here." He stated as he pulled himself upright and took a look at her. "It isn't ideal."

He was apologizing.

She nodded her head, seemingly against her will. "I understand." It was what he wanted her to say, what he wanted to hear.

"We will start research tomorrow. I find your case is different somehow from whatever literature I have read thus far."

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, will I able to go to school?"

"Whatever gave you the notion you could?" was all he said. She looked down again at the raised ink on her wrist and felt utterly uncomfortable. He'd been her teacher and now he was locking her up like some dirty secret in his rooms.

He acknowledged her once more with a nod, before taking his leave of her with an impassive face.

XXXXXXX

It was an entire week without incident. She was convinced enough to stay put while he performed his duties to and around the school. She researched the curse, of course finding very little, but he had encouraged her none-the-less. She was becoming frustrated however, at the lack of answers, at the lack of her resources.

It had been harder than he expected, keeping his mind silent. He had tried to occlude most of the time he'd been with her. It was a different kind of penetration, one beyond the access to the mind. She was not purposefully looking in to his thoughts and it took extra energy to occlude her entirely. Of course he slipped, forcing the girl to slap Minerva McGonagall, but that was worth it. Part of occluding included keeping his desires silent which proved to be almost impossible. He hadn't realized how many things he wanted for, every second of every day; it was almost as unconscious as breathing.

There was too much he was keeping from her however. And as her wide eyes scanned him over morning tea, he knew he only had so much time before she started demanding answers.

"Why are you staring at me Miss Granger?" he muttered handing her an assortment of jams.

"Sorry." Whether she looked away from her own volition or his, he wasn't sure. "Harry and Ron need me."

His knife clattered loudly on the dish of toast. "I cannot go with you."

"Go with me?"

"We are bound Miss Granger, I thought I explained that much."

"Yes but when you're gone the voices are gone too-"

"Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that it was temporary? We're dealing with a curse we know nothing about. I cannot allow you to leave."

"I've already proven I can disobey you."

"Yes. Since you were eleven. But we're no closer to knowing why." He stated, getting annoyed. It was harder than he expected having someone to answer to. She wasn't a nuisance unless she was in this state but he had less privacy now and it coupled unsuccessfully with his demeanor.

"I want to leave."

"Under no circumstances."

"You don't own me Professor."

She wasn't backing down, it seemed over the week her indignation had grown, as with her self will. It was harder to appease her now, to quiet her. She made to stand up, as if she would leave this very moment but almost as fast as she reached her full height, she was forced back in to her seat again by invisible hands.

"That was unintentional." He muttered taking some tea.

"Continue your research Miss Granger, you are doing no one any help by ignoring the problem." She huffed, slightly assuaged by his commands. "This evening, I will teach you how to occlude, and perhaps it will alleviate the both of us a bit more."

XXXXXX

Harry turned the fire slowly in the air with his wand tip. He hadn't been too sure about the cloaking spells he put on the tent and he listened carefully for intruders as the fire crackled by his face.

Ron and Hermione had been captured and taken for almost over a week now. It had been his mistake. He'd been a slave to his fancies and suggested they have dinner in a muggle diner outside a small town. In almost an instant, it seemed there had been some sort of flash of light and then nothing. When he woke up in a restaurant that had been nearly destroyed, he found himself spared but his best friends taken in his wake.

He'd thought of hundreds of ways to save them, each as ridiculous as the last. He didn't know who took them, where they were taken or what had happened to them. It would be insane – even for him – to go door to door knocking on various death eaters' houses asking for his friends. And so he continued his search, hoping he would find them eventually.

Caught in this trance like state of thinking, he hadn't noticed the small flame morph quietly in to the face of Remus Lupin. It wasn't until the man had called the boy's name several times did Harry nearly jump out of his skin.

"Remus?" Harry asked, lifting the flame even closer to his face. The expression of Remus Lupin remained unchanged, staring blankly at his companion as if unseeing him.

"Harry, Ron Weasley is dead and Hermione Granger has gone missing. No one knows where she is. You must continue the work Dumbledore has set out for you. Do not go looking for them"

Harry opened his mouth, but there was little sound. It was no matter, the fire Lupin had said what he needed to and had dissipated back in to flame.

Ron was dead. Ron was dead.

Death had been so close, so many times, but he had never imagined either three of them dying. He rested his head in his hands. And Hermione was still missing? Whoever killed Ron was probably planning a similar fate for Hermione. Continue Dumbledore's work…

He extinguished the flame and left himself in pitch darkness.

He had to find Hermione before it was too late.