Disclaimer: JKR doesn't even know who Shaylee Weasley is... So therefore, she doesn't have dreams/nightmares in which Shaylee is attacking her with a rubber chicken... I, however, do.
AN: Don't get used to it. ... It's Spring Break.
Draco felt his stomache drop as Lord Voldemort announced his plans for Hermione. He didn't know what he had thought was the reason Voldemort wanted her, but the thought hadn't crossed his tiny mind that Voldemort simply wanted to get rid of her. And for some reason, nobody else in their little rescue mission had thought of it either.
He kept a grim face, however, though he noticed Hermione's eyes widen.
"Our plot to get you here was overkill, I must admit. But torture is always entertaining, and there is more than one way of torture."
Hermione noticed more Death Eaters entering through the trap door and hoped that her friends were on their way, as she was getting a little nervous.
"Are you ready, Fairy Princess?" Severus asked, moving out of the stall to find Shaylee.
"Is it time to go?" Shaylee poked her head out of the stall where she had found her new friend.
Severus moved to join her and noticed the colt was nudging Shaylee, trying to get her to stay.
Shaylee sighed. "Sevvy... I want a pony..."
Severus shook his head, amused. "I'm sorry, but this little guy isn't going to be a pony. He'll be a bit bigger."
"Well, I want a horse, then. I could keep it at your cliche farmhouse." Shaylee grinned mockingly at him, but Severus' smile fell and he became serious again.
"We'd better go before something bad happens to Miss Granger."
Shaylee patted the horse goodbye and the two walked stealthily towards the Manor. Well, as stealthily as is possible through fifty yards without anything to hide behind, anyway.
They reached the door and Severus looked around before opening it. Or attempting to open it.
Severus muttered a string of expletives as Shaylee looked at the door with her head cocked to the side.
"Wasn't Scott...?" she began.
"Yes," Severus snapped. "Your boyfriend screwed up, Princess."
"Shut up, Sev." Shaylee raised her wand and pointed it at the door.
"Alohamora isn't going to work. That's why they use a spell and not a key."
Shaylee shrugged. "Let me at least try. Alohamora!"
Severus sighed. "Very nice... Now we need to find an alternate entrance. The window to Lucius' office is right up th-"
He stopped as Shaylee reached and turned the handle, opening the door.
"Something's not right with this..."
Shaylee shrugged. "Maybe they used a spell and a key, so Scott only undid the spell."
Severus shook his head. "It still feels all wrong."
"Well, we can't back out now, so we'd better go before someone gets hurt."
"Hey Ron," Harry said into the silence of the forest.
"Yeah?"
"Shay and Snape are going in now."
The two moved closer to the edge of the forest for a better view.
"So what do we do now?"
"Wait for their all-clear."
"So stand here and do nothing."
"Exactly."
"This night is getting even more exciting the longer we stand in this forest."
Six figures in Death Eater robes entered the room and joined the others. All but one were wearing a Death Eater mask as well. As Hermione met the eyes of that Death Eater, her mouth dropped open and she couldn't stop an, "Oh my God," from escaping.
The unmasked Death Eater smiled at Hermione wickedly.
"Hermione! How wonderful to see you again," Kerry said with a malevolent chuckle.
Draco felt a pounding in his ears as the phrase, 'Oh shit, oh shit,' repeated itself in his mind.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, looking over to Draco to see that he was paler than usual. She looked back at Kerry. "You're a Death Eater?"
"Oh no, of course not," Kerry responded. "Not yet, anyway. But in a month, I will be."
She shrugged innocently. "That's why I'm not wearing a mask. I'm sorry about your little surprise, though."
Kerry looked at the Death Eaters she had entered with. "There's actually another person in here who isn't a Death Eater and shouldn't be wearing his mask yet."
A Death Eater in the rear of the group made his way to the front while pulling his mask off. "Sorry, Kerry."
All of Draco's optimism for their plan disappeared as he saw Scott pulling his mask off and walking towards Kerry with a grin.
Severus looked areound briefly before starting up the staircase to Lucius' study.
"Hey, Sev... I could go first. I am the Defense teacher..."
"And I have more experience," Severus responded shortly.
He stopped halfway up the staircase and listened. Shaylee sighed, not hearing anything.
He started again and stopped at the door, motioning for Shaylee to stay silent.
He held his wand out and opened the door quickly, yet quietly. Nothing happened.
He took a few steps in the room and Shaylee followed him, taking the chance to whisper, "See? I could have done that."
Before she was even done with her sentence, a red flash filled the room and Severus fell back on top of her, hitting his head on the door jamb on his way down.
"Holy shit!"
Shaylee made the mistake of taking the time to set Severus on the floor gently before readying her wand.
She had barely stood when she was hit with a similar blast and fell against Lucius' large desk, dropping her wand and twisting her arm in a way it shouldn't twist.
She cursed, though she was relieved she still had the use of her wand arm.
Shaylee dropped to the floor to grab her wand and for cover as she figured out where the bastard who'd attacked Seerus was.
She'd just grabbed her wand when she heard footsteps retreating down the stairs. She blindly fired a few spells down the stairway and smiled, satisfied, when the footsteps were replaced with the clumsy thumps of someone falling.
She turned, preparing to revive Severus and continue on their mission. She halted, however, and her heart dropped as she saw him lying absolutely still where she'd placed him, with blood flowing from a bump on his head.
"Shit, Sevvy... He got you good."
Shaylee bent down next to him and began to wipe the blood from his wound.
"Now, don't expect me to do this all the time. There is no way I'm ever dressing up in a nurse's outfit for you," she said with a grin, halfway expecting him to awaken with a retort.
When he didn't, she sighed.
"Well, I'd better tell the boys to start in, huh Sevvy?"
She patted his hand and then shrinked back at its coldness.
"Sevvy? Sevvy? Wakey time!" she said with a forced cheerful tone.
"Time to go beat up some big bad assholes!" she tried again.
Her smile disappeared.
"Sev? Sev, wake up." She paused. "Dammit, Sev!"
Shaylee looked around then stood up, wincing as her left arm was jostled. She walked to the window and sent a red light towards the forest, signalling to Harry and Ron that it was OK to enter.
She returned to Severus.
She shook his shoulder, patted his face, and even tried plugging his nose, but he wouldn't wake up.
Shaylee sighed. "I can't do this without you, Sev."
She laughed softly at herself as she felt a tear appear in her eye.
"See this, Sevvy? You're making me cry." She paused for a shaky breath. "I need you, Sev."
She held his still-cold hand for a moment. "I won't let anything happen to you. You'll be fine."
She leaned over so that her face was hovering inches over his, hesitated, then kissed his lips softly. "I love you, Sevvy."
She stood, looked him over one last time, and left, securing the room on her way out.
Severus Snape was dreaming. He was dreaming about a beautiful woman with long red hair and emerald eyes. He was in love with this woman. And it wasn't Lily Evans Potter.
