A/n: Took a while, but got lots to do with owrk and school and friends. busy busy busy. i'm really glad i got this chapter out, i had writers block half way through writing it and it took me like a month to get over it! now i have no a clue what to write for my next chapter, i lost my outline! ahh i'm going to wing it. enjoy..

A big round of applause to my reviewers.


Details, Details. Chapter 6

"So Mum wants to get me a new uniform for my last year, but I've really only just grown into this one. I think she noticed I made the skirt smaller and wants to get one of those new ones that the girls can't charm. Hermione… Hermione are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? … Uh yes, new clothes are great Ginny."

"Hermione what's wrong with you? You aren't listening to one word I'm saying!" Ginny threw her hands up in exasperation. "I didn't meet you for lunch so I could talk to a brick wall."

Hermione sighed and looked down at her untouched soup. She had made this lunch date with Ginny a week or so before, she hadn't expected to be so distracted. She couldn't seem to concentrate on anything however; her head was completely fogged.

And to put it frankly, she was scared.

One usually was after an encounter like that with Lucius Malfoy.

She played nervously with her napkin when she once again fell into thought about why he had found her. Where the hell did he get the nerve showing up at her work and threatening her like that? She could report him. 'Well,' she argued with herself, 'he didn't really threaten you, verbally but physically assaulted you to some degree, but he didn't threaten you.' He had however said she'd be seeing him soon. Shivering involuntarily she realized that she was getting paranoid about that fact, she didn't want to face Malfoy ever again if she could help it.

"It's a boy isn't it?" Hermione looked up, suddenly shocked.

"Excuse me?"

"You met a boy didn't you?" Ginny squealed. " I can tell! That's why you're so distracted, you can't stop thinking about him! Hermione that is so cute!"

'Not quite Ginny' Hermione wanted to laugh. The thought of her constantly thinking of Snape or Malfoy for that reason was absolutely absurd.

'Or is it?' she heard a voice echo in her head. Where had that come from? She shook herself to clear her thoughts.

"That's crazy Ginny, I don't know where you get your ideas but your mind is constantly in the gutter." Ginny huffed.

"All the signs point to that Hermione, now eat your soup." Ginny pointed to the obviously forgotten bowl. Hermione smiled at her friend, she would miss Ginny when she went back to school. She wouldn't have anyone around then, except Crookshanks. She hadn't realized how lonely it was going to get.

Suddenly something behind Ginny caught her eye, a boy with a strong build, tanned skin and dark hair was walking toward them.

"Zabini!" She heard herself shouting as she got up from her seat and wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, giving him a tight hug. He chuckled.

"Granger, here I am coming to say a friendly hello and you attack me." Hermione slapped him playfully on the shoulder. They had become good friends while they had shared a heads common room. It had taken a while, at first they hadn't talked to each other at all, but late nights with them both studying hard in the common room had changed that. They had slowly begun to realize they had quite a bit in common.

Blaise turned and nodded at the redhead girl who remained in her seat.

"Ginny."

"Blaise."

Hermione's eyebrow rose in suspicion.

"Since when have you two been on a first name basis." Ginny's cheeks were dusted a pretty pink and Blaise seemed to be looking anywhere else but at her. Hermione was about to press the matter further when she felt something warm winding itself between her legs. Looking down she noticed it was a black cat.

"Silly cat." She murmured, trying to get away from it, but the feline wouldn't seem to leave her alone. She sighed, bending down and petting it softly.

"There are you happy – " She stopped abruptly as she looked into the cat's eyes. They were dark, black if she was to describe them with a color and they bore into her own honey gold eyes with a deep intensity.

Snape.

"Uh…" She began as she stood up. Thinking quickly she tried to come up with a lie to tell her two companions. "I've just remembered I have to go in today to get my paycheck, how silly of me." She laughed forcibly and left a few coins on the table. "I best be going."

"Oh we'll come with you Hermione, I have nothing better to do today." Blaise offered and Ginny nodded in agreement.

"No, no," she said hurriedly. "I'm sure you two would like a chance to catch up, I must be on my way, bye Ginny I'll floo you later!" As she hurried away she had the urge to smack herself in the face. A chance to catch up? Ginny and Blaise weren't even friends to her knowledge; she was going to have trouble getting out of that mess with Ginny later. Damn Snape and his timing.

Looking behind her for the cat in question she saw he was having trouble keeping up, the crowds in Diagon Alley were thick today and being so low to the ground people would have a tendency to step on you. As she watched Snape dodging feet she stopped to wait for him.

He looked up at her as if to question why they had stopped, but when she bent down and scooped him into her arms he seemed to think getting stepped on was a better idea.

"Calm down kitty," she whispered quietly and with a bit more force then intended. "I'm not running off from my friends just to find out you've had your face stomped in by some crazy witch in a hurry to a sale."

He stopped struggling.

Once they were out of Diagon Alley and into her flat she dropped him unceremoniously onto the ground. He immediately turned back into the man he was. Hermione's throat went dry.

He stood tall, much taller then she, his arms were crossed against his chest and his face was twisted into an angry sneer. The look reminded her of when they were in school and he was her professor. Hermione felt reduced to a second year that had just blown up a cauldron.

"Miss Granger," he began angrily. "I intend on letting you know I can take care of myself, and if you think otherwise and wish to help, then not to drop me on my face when your done. Do I make myself clear?" Hermione starred at him for a moment before smirking slightly.

"I thought cats always landed on their feet, Professor." Silence for a minute, he starred at her with a cold mask, except she thought she could detect amusement in his eyes. No, it couldn't be.

"Indeed." Was his only reply, she waited patiently for him to say something else. He had sought her out after all; he must be here to give her the information. She was curious about some things however and when he said nothing more she decided to find out what she wanted.

"Would you like to sit down Professor Snape?" She asked politely. He nodded once and took the seat nearest to him. She moved behind her coffee table and sat on the couch. Looking at him now she noticed how exhausted he was. "So," she began wearily. "Mind telling me how you knew I had a flat of my own?" He glanced up at her before looking away.

"I had been following you for a few days."

"WHAT? You were following me? You didn't come in here did you?" She was angry, finding out you were being followed and not knowing it was slightly disturbing. The nerve of the man, she always knew he was a creep.

"No!" He hissed. "I was following you because I needed to wait for the best time to approach you!"

"So in a dark alley and stupefying me was the best way?" She argued.

"Miss Granger," He started, calming down slightly. "You would have tried to hex me into next Tuesday if I had come to you when you had your wand. We've been through this." She nodded roughly; still irked that he had been following her.

"So why did it take you so long to get back in contact?" She had waited a week and a half, if anything Hermione Granger was not a patient person.

"I feared I was being followed by one of my colleagues. I didn't want to lead any of them to you." His colleagues? He called his death eaters his colleagues? What a dreadful thing to call them. She had always thought that-

She stopped mid thought as she re-processed his words.

"Who was it you thought was following you?" She said slowly, dreading the answer. He looked up at her, noticing she had suddenly become very tentative.

"Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy."

Goddamn.

She gulped as she felt her throat go dryer then before. She wasn't sure if she should tell Snape what had happened; but then again it was probably a good idea. Malfoy was a dangerous character. Snape however, who was very observant had noticed something was wrong.

"What happened?" He asked in a low voice. His eyes were boring into hers again, and it took her a minute to find her voice before she could reply.

"I was working at Flourish and Blots when Malfoy came behind me, I hadn't heard him. He made a few comments and when I ignored him he chose to uh… Take more physical action." Suddenly Snape was on his feet.

"He attacked you?" He asked, his voice so deadly Hermione almost wanted to cower into the back of her couch.

"Not exactly attacked, or not in the way your thinking. It's hard to explain." She felt her cheeks grow hot. "I wouldn't say it was exactly a um sexual attack but it was a lot more intimate then anything else."

Snape grew suddenly very pale. He began to pace back and forth on her living room floor. She watched him as he was deep in thought, his hair was tied back in that ribbon again but a few pieces had come loose and were dangling in his face. He would brush them away every so often as if to remove them from disturbing his thoughts.

"You must stay away from him Miss Granger." He said it like there was nothing to it. Like just because he said it that it would happen.

"Of course I'll stay away from him." She paused. "He did say I'd be seeing him soon though." Snape stopped pacing. He looked overly concerned; it worried her because she had never seen any of Snape's emotions. It was overwhelming to know the man actually had feelings.

"I fear this is my doing." He said suddenly. "Lucius must have figured out I was following you and thought I had taken some special interest in you. The man hasn't trusted me since the return of the Dark lord. Even with Albus' death," he seemed to almost choke on the words. "Lucius still didn't believe I was all there for the Dark Lords cause. He would spite me in anyway possible, if he thought that I wanted you," He paused to look at her then, no it was more like he observed her and she felt her cheeks flush and wondered why whenever he looked at her she felt like a little girl. "He would want you for himself."

She gasped.

The implications of that statement were devastating. She had heard Moody's stories of what death eaters do to girls that they captured. The endings were never pleasant.

Hermione stayed silent however as she thought. If Snape's assumptions were correct then she was pretty much screwed. Her intelligence and solving problem skills seemed to go down the drain in this moment; all she wanted to do was cry. Taking a shaky breath Hermione brought her eyes back up to Snape's. He was watching her, as though contemplating what she might be feeling.

"What information would you like to present to the order?" Hermione's words were a quiet change of subject, but snape welcomed them with a nod.

Making himself more comfortable, Snape seemed to look for away how to approach this. Hermione waited patiently, if he was expected the information he gave them to be used in court when it came to his trial, he better make it as good as he can.

'If we lose he won't have to worry about a trial' the nasty little voice who had seemed to take residence in Hermione's head said.

"I have located one of the Hurcruxs'." She starred at him blankly. "A Hurcruxs' is –"

"I know what it is!" She practically spat in conformation.

"Your silence was very reassuring."

"I was thinking about if I should believe you or not, or if this whole thing is a big trap to get Harry." The crueler side of her decided to say that, but as she saw him close his eyes and turn away slightly she almost felt guilty. He looked almost as if he were in pain and as though he had expected something like this.

"Miss Granger," He began. "I can do no more to convince you that I am on your side. If you do not believe my case then you do not believe it. I only hope that you realize the information I have to give you will either make or break this war." Hermione nodded for him to go on. "Do you have a map?"

"No, I don't, do you require one." Waving it off he continued.

"The Hurcrux I have found is within a castle in Scotland. It is heavily guarded. I did not dare approach it in case the Dark Lord found out who had approached it. I know however it is there for certain."

Hermione smiled this was the information they were looking for then. If Snape was correct…

"The times coming near then." She said softly.

"Excuse me?"

"The final battle. If your information is correct the final battle is near. Harry will only have one more Hurcrux to find, then Voldemort will be mortal." Snape's lips quirked slightly into something she thought might be a smile.

"So Potter isn't absolutely useless after all." She scowled. Snape only smirked before he rolled up his sleeve to look at a silver watch located there. Looking up he said, "I should be going." A wave of sympathy suddenly filled Hermione as she remembered how exhausted he looked at his arrival.

"Where do you stay professor?" She realized how rude she sounded. "I mean if you do mind me asking, you do look as though you haven't slept well in nights." He studied her for a moment before answering roughly.

"There are not many places I can go, Miss Granger. Very few in fact. If you remember how Black was living while he was on the run from the Ministry?" He left the question hanging, there was no need to finish it and tell her that is how he was living also.

"Stay here." She said suddenly, surprising herself as well as him.

"No, I can manage. I really don't think it would be appropriate." He said smoothly, as if it were the final word. She scoffed at him.

"Listen it makes sense, why starve yourself if you don't have to. You won't have to wait weeks to inform me on new information either, especially if it's vital. Plus, I have someone here who can watch out for me if," she swallowed. "If Malfoy stops by."

Snape stayed silent for a minute. Going over the pros and cons of the situation. She saw when his resolve went down.

"Fine, do you have a guest room Miss Granger?"

"No, but my couch is a futon." He starred at her. "A fold out bed."

He grimaced.


You'll find that when you can't fall asleep, and the area around you is mostly silent, any little noise you'll notice and it'll seem to magnify ten times louder then it actually is.

This is what Severus Snape felt like as he starred at the ceiling in Hermione Granger's flat. 'Damn faucet' the thing had been dripping about every 10 seconds for longer then he knew. He rolled over onto his side, hoping it would be a bit more comfortable. It wasn't.

'It's better then concrete on a muggle street.' He reminded himself. How unusual of the Granger girl to have offered such hospitality to someone like him. He had treated her horribly for 6 years. He had killed someone not only her, but also each one of her friends held dear and was considered a traitor by all.

Yet the girl still started to trust him after such a short period of time. Not just trust him, but let him into her home. Thinking it was probably for her own protection more then anything was just stupid, she wasn't selfish like that and he knew. Closing his eyes he thought of her in his classes, well, she was selfish for knowledge.

The Gryfindor girl has been such a pest in his classes, beating all the Slytherins and being head of her class every year.

'She isn't a girl anymore.' The voice caught him off guard but was not all that unwelcome, she was out of school, of course she wasn't a little girl. No, she had grown into quite a nice looking young lady, no doubt the reason why Malfoy was after her. Severus had always been suspicious of Malfoy and his intentions with Granger. Ever since after the Quidditch world cup. Lucius had mentioned in casual conversation that she had a spirit on her and breaking that spirit would be an interesting challenge. He never mentioned anything to the order because he knew Lucius would never try anything when Albus was around… That problem wasn't in his way anymore.

Severus shivered at the thought of the things Malfoy would do to her. He had seen some of Malfoy's other victims, it was never pretty.

At that point Severus decided to do anything to protect Hermione from Lucius.

Pinching the bridge of his nose he shook his head. Lack of sleep was getting to him. Protecting her would mean exposure that would cause his death and many more. Somehow he didn't find himself caring.

A noise behind him distracted him, the sound of breaking glass caught his ears and he jumped up, wand at the ready and all senses alert. Silently he stepped toward the kitchen. Jumping into the threshold a curse was on his lips before he halted. It was only Hermione, on the floor picking up pieces of glass that looked like they used to belong to a cup.

"Lumos." He muttered, and light filled the room. She looked up at him then and he immediately noticed her slightly distraught face. She looked like she had been crying slightly, and her pajamas were disheveled, which consisted of shorts and a tank top, he noticed. She looked up at him.

"I – I was just coming to get some water. I wasn't thinking clearly, s-sorry for waking you." She stuttered. Bending down he took the glass from her hands and rested it on the table. He noticed her shaking slightly.

"What is wrong Miss. Granger?" He asked, covering her hands. She jerked them away suddenly.

"Nothing I'm fine." She stood up, brushing herself off.

"Clearly you are not." He pointed out.

"I just had a bad dream," she gritted out. "Nothing more."

"Were Potter's dreams 'nothing more?'" He glowered at her attitude; he was only trying to help her.

"They weren't like that, leave it alone!"

"Stop acting like a child!" He thundered and then hissed in pain as his dark mark burned on his arms. Her eyes softened as she looked to where he was grasping.

"Are you okay?" She asked but his only response was.

"Nothing I'm fine. I'll be back." With a flick of his wand his death eater robes were on and with a 'pop' he was gone.

Okay, she deserved that one.


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