Thank you for being patient! I skipped a couple of weeks in the story to get to the action but if I missed something you wanted closure on, let me know! Any questions you have I'm happy to answer.

Chapter 36. Easter Holidays

March 21st came around entirely too fast and before Hermione could even catch her breath, she was packing for her trip home and obsessing over how close her Time-Turner was to her person at all times. The witch had nearly forgotten her parents were going on holidays, having never replied to the letter she had received and promptly lost. An elf must have taken it from her jeans when they were washed because she couldn't find it anywhere, or even dream of where it was her parents said they were going. Hermione had only thought of it that moment when she was packing, trying to think of a way to make sure her family was nowhere near their home when she was taken that evening. She did remember, however, the romantic night Severus had planned for them that Valentine's day and swooned a bit as she dragged her fingertips over the jumper she'd worn that night. Shaking herself from her daydream, she finished packing and spun on her heel, nearly slamming into Ginny.

"Whoa Hermione, no need to rush! We've got at least an hour before the train leaves," Ginny jested, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest, eyeing her friend. Hermione tucked the Time Turner she held in her palm behind her back and smiled meekly. "What's that?" The red-head asked, reaching for the brunette's arm but she stepped back swiftly and pushed her luggage ahead of her.

"Just a gift for my parents, haven't wrapped it though. It's a surprise, can't have others seeing it yet," she lied, smiling jovially and walking around her friend in a circle to block the device from Ginny's view with her body. The expression on the younger witch's face fell from one of curiosity to concern before Hermione darted out into the hallway. She left her baggage at the top of the stairs with the others and took the steps down to the common room quickly before rushing out the door. Carefully disillusioning herself, she made it to the Slytherin common room and waited outside impatiently.

Draco knew she would be waiting for him and yet he was late. And as the minutes ticked by, she was beginning to worry, her stomach flipping and threatening nausea. She had neglected to take her anti-nausea potion as to avoid any drowsiness that might occur on her most vital day. This could very well be the last day of her life and she had seen neither the blond nor her love for the entirety of it. Her mind flashed to her encounter with the youngest Weasley and she realized that it had been the first time she'd spoken to the girl since it was outed that Hermione was supposedly in a relationship with Draco. Ginevra had been civil, but cold for the past weeks and yet she seemed nearly friendly when Hermione bumped into her just moments previous.

Just as Hermione was about to pursue the thought further the Slytherin door swung open and caught her attention, only for her to be dismayed by a pair of third-years walking out. She took the opportunity, though, to slide through unnoticed and make her way to the boy's dormitories. It was busy, the common room and the halls, given that everyone was preparing for the Easter Holidays, but Draco wasn't in sight. She peeked into the sixth-year rooms and only Theo was puttering about as he packed.

Frustrated, the witch made her way back down to the common room and searched the masses for his obvious white-blond hair, but he was nowhere to be seen. She gave up and returned to the corridor to wait for him, quickly noting that her time before the train left was dwindling so she began tapping her feet anxiously against the concrete. Has he forgotten? What if he bails? What if this was his plan all along and I am truly going to be dying this weekend? She placed her sweaty palm to her forehead and felt her stomach churn even more before she decided it was best to get on the train and just leave. He would find her. He would have to find her.

Gryffindors barely looked at her as she walked down the aisle of the train, finding an empty cabin and taking a seat, folding her hands in her lap and bouncing her leg. She tightened her grip on the device and watched as people strolled by the doors, glancing in an quickly moving past. She was a Gryffindor that was hated by her House and most of the members of the other three. Slytherin mostly hated her for her blood heritage, but also did not take kindly to her dirty blood tainting one of their finest.

The train jolted and began progressing, just as the door to her cabin flew open, startling the witch to look up. Draco Malfoy came in and sat across from her with his head down. "I'm sorry I didn't meet you as we planned," he whispered, reaching out to grab her hands. Swallowing, the witch passed off the device to him before leaning back and glancing out of the window. The light of day was fading into darkness as they left the Hogwarts station. "I was interrupted, but I promise, I will keep you safe," the blond attempted to reassure her, but she didn't look over to him, the dread setting in as she focused on what exactly he was supposed to keep her safe from.

"I know, Draco," she breathed, closing her eyes tightly. The reality was beginning to sink in and the worry was overflowing in her mind. I could very well die and you got interrupted? I haven't seen Severus all day, I haven't hugged Crookshanks goodbye, I've just left him to wonder about the castle. What if I die? And Severus dies? Who is going to take care of my cat? I could die knowing Harry and Ronald and Ginny all hate me. Everyone hates me and I'm going to die-

"Granger, I won't let you die," Draco asserted, pulling her from her spiral and into his ice-blue eyes. She gasped, the feeling of a tear falling from her cheek drawing her hand away from his grasp to wipe it away. She wanted to believe him, to have faith that he would be able to get back in time and rescue her. She wanted to believe that her and her baby, Severus, and Draco would all make it out alive. Her parents would never know she was gone or taken and she could be happy. But there was something nagging at the back of her mind, screaming that something was going to go wrong and someone was going to die. She was going to die.

The witch didn't reply to that, instead, she rested her head against the window and let out a shaky breath.

"Hello Hermione, Draco," a breathy voice called from the door to the cabin, snapping Hermione upright. Luna wore a light blue jumper under some grey denim overalls with her long blonde hair resting down her back. "Might I sit with you a bit? I sensed some Nargles out this way and I thought I might be of some help to their victims," she said, taking a seat beside Draco and giving him a distant smile. Hermione eyed the girl nervously and feigned a small grin.

"Excited for Easter Holidays, Luna?" The brunette asked pathetically, glancing briefly to Draco who was already staring at her, before turning her attention back to their newest cabin mate. The blonde was nodding slowly, her face blank but content.

"I am. My father and I are going to plant some Dirigible plums and charm some eggs," Luna recounted, looking over at Draco and nodding before turning back to Hermione. The girl's eyes lingered for a bit at Hermione's midsection and the brunette quickly hugged her torso. "When are you expecting your baby?" She asked, making Hermione gasp and her eyes widen.

"You bloody slag," a familiar voice spat from the aisle. Hermione flipped to look and saw Ron shaking his head and eyeing her with an air of disgust. She wanted to get up, to fight back and tell him off for calling her such an awful word but she was frozen in her spot as he disappeared out of view. The tears started against as she felt Draco's comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't know anyone was listening," Luna apologized, making Hermione take in a shaky breath as she fought back sobs. "I shouldn't have said anything, I hope you can forgive me. I'm sure he didn't mean to call you that." The brunette collapsed at the reassurance, taking her head in her hands and releasing the tears she'd been repressing. It wasn't just about his words, it was her entire life falling apart in front of her. Her best friends hated her, she was rumoured to be shagging her enemy, and now everyone would know she was pregnant.

She wasn't sure when it was that Luna left, but the cart became quiet as Hermione's emotions flatlined, leaving her curled in the arms of her only friend left. "I don't know how I'm going to do this Draco, how am I going to have a baby and fight a war?" The witch whispered, clutching onto his hands.

"You are so strong, Hermione. I'm shocked this was the first time you broke down, I've certainly had my fair share of meltdowns," he attempted to console her. She didn't respond, just sat up and breathed in deeply. "You will survive this, you will go back to school and you will survive the gossip. You'll finish your classes, pass your N.E.W.T.s next year and graduate. The war will end and the good will survive, I promise you."

"You sound so certain, but I really could die tonight," she laughed, not knowing exactly why that was her exact reaction. The absurdity of her future was piling onto her and there was nothing else she could think of doing. He rested a hand on her shoulder and the train came to a slow stop, the pair of them looking out into the station that had appeared outside them. The trip didn't feel long, not nearly long enough, and her heart sunk as she stood up.

"I'll see you tonight, I suppose," Draco whispered, standing up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I promise I will keep you safe Hermione, you will get your future." He left the cabin and her alone. Composing herself, she walked down the small aisle behind him and stepped out of the train and onto the platform. Her parents rushed over to her and gathered her in their arms.

"Oh, I missed you, Hermione! We missed you!" Her mother said, squeezing her daughter's shoulders and kissing her cheek. While any other time she might have been embarrassed by the show of affection, she eagerly returned the embrace and her father joined in. He placed a kiss on the top of her head and she smiled, a tear escaping her eye.

"I missed you too, both of you," she breathed, relishing in the moment she shared with her family as if it were her last.

-x-

She had placed her suitcase in her room and was sitting on the bed with a book in her lap. Hermione had been watching the clock since she arrived in her home and her antsy nature was beginning to worry her parents, so she exiled herself to her bedroom claiming she'd slept poorly the night before. They informed her that they would be leaving for a ski trip later that evening and had booked a flight for the three of them but somehow she managed to get herself out of it without concerning them. They were a little wound up over losing the money on her flights, but she promised to come with them on a trip over the summer break to make up for it, though she doubted it would happen. There was a little under an hour until they were to leave and she knew she was lucky they would be out of the vicinity when she was kidnapped, but she loathed to say goodbye to them and was dreading the encounter, so she stayed away from them until she absolutely had to face it.

Her unease had stretched far beyond her own life the more time she spent looking at her parents' loving faces. Not only had she put her life at risk, but she'd done so to her mother and father and her child. None of them had chosen to apart of this life and yet she'd thrown them directly into the path of a murderous wizard after her kind simply because of who she had decided to befriend in her first year of Hogwarts. They hadn't even been that nice to her when they first met, her friends, though she admitted she had been a little bit of a walking encyclopedia when she was younger. Still, she had chosen the boys who had spoken poorly of her behind her back and make her so upset she'd nearly died from a troll attack. She owed her life to the boys for rescuing her countless times throughout their friendship, though she had helped them in more intellectual manners.

Hermione's reflection on her friendship was more likely driven by her desire to repress the hurt Ronald's words had caused her and the sting of Harry's refusal to talk to her. Draco was their enemy, but he had done nothing to physically harm the boys any more than they'd done to him. He rescued her from a bloody lake and they took credit for it. They aren't above reproach, she mused, laying back on her bed and resting her book over her eyes.

A knock on her door made her shoot up to see her mother pushing open her door. "Is everything all right love?" Her mother inquired, eyeing her through the dim lighting. Hermione feigned a smile and tucked her book under her leg.

"Just a bit of a headache is all, thought some reading might help but the lights were bothering me and I can't really read in this lighting," the young witch fibbed, motioning to her room. Her mother found a spot at the edge of her bed and reached out to grab the girl's hands. The touch made Hermione want to cry once more, but she held it in and leaned her head against Jean's shoulder.

"I miss you so much when you're away at school, I had really been looking forward to this trip," her mother lamented. "I'm glad you're staying home though, it seems like you really need the break. We'll be back by the middle of next week and make sure to spend all the time we can with you before you go back. I'm thinking Australia might be a nice place to go over the Summer, what d'you think?" Hermione just hummed, feeling all the more comforted by her mother's presence. Her eyes felt heavy and she barely registered her mother leaning her back and tucking her under the covers before she whispered, "We'll see you when we get back, be safe, princess."

-x-

The Princess of Gryffindor awoke to a hand over her mouth and a strong tug to her hair. She panicked, clawing at the arm that was holding her down and pulling her away from her bed. The dim lighting in her room was simply black now and no matter how wide she opened her eyes, she couldn't see a thing as she was dragged from her room. She was kicking, and screaming even though her mouth was held down, and trying desperately to flee. Somehow she had slept right through until her capture. She had planned to be awake or faking sleep or something. Something conscious enough that her fear and shock would have to be fake, that she would know who it was that was holding her down. Is it Severus? Or someone else? They're strong but it could be anyo-

Her thought was broken as a charm was uttered by an unknown source and she felt her entire body being bound by ropes. Then it was black. When next she saw a light, it was blurry. Her vision adjusted until she knew she was looking up at a ceiling. Her entire body ached and she moved to open her mouth but it was sealed shut. She was paralyzed, her arms and legs bound as she frantically looked about where she could. The ceiling was detailed and intricately carved, nothing like that of her parents' home. The walls that she could see were panelled and tall and she was awfully high up. Levitating. She was being levitated.

Her fear of heights kicked in and she began to panic, desperately wanting to scream and struggle out of her binds, but she was frozen. She wanted to cry, to gasp and sob, but she was silenced. She couldn't see a single person around her, nor hear people talking or moving. It was just her breathing, her short exhales through her nose as the witch attempted to calm herself. Where is Severus? Draco? My parents? Did they make it out okay? I never got to say goodbye to them. Oh gods, I'll never see them again. Is this going to plan? What time is it? Where is everyone?

"Thank you all for joining me this evening," a familiar, chilling voice spoke from another room. Hermione gulped, closing her eyes tightly and praying she wasn't about to cry. "I know your children are likely home for the Holidays, but I wanted to start this bonding time off correctly with a celebration for one of our own. Draco?" There was a pause followed by cheering and Hermione released a long breath through her nose. "He was given a mission and I hear he is making great progress on that front as we move towards the end of the year, so as a gift to him, I brought someone over from his little school." There was a shuffling of feet right beside her and she desperately tried to look down at whoever it was, but she couldn't see. Beyond her cheek was nothing more than a blur as she was moved out of the room.

"My Lord," a deep voice spoke from beside her. The tone sent an instantly calming rush over her as she pictured her wizard by her side. She could make it, maybe, just maybe.

"Thank you, Severus, for bringing the girl to us. Draco?" There was a chorus of people talking but Hermione didn't know what it was that caused it unless it was simply her presence. Her eyes were fixated on the large portrait of the Malfoy family staring down at her. Draco seemed distant, almost angry, but it was a recent rendition of the family as he was older, at least 17. She tried her hardest not to think about what was coming, to believe wholeheartedly that she would be saved. There was nothing the brunette hated more than being the damsel in distress, waiting around for someone to come rescue her, but there was nothing she could do. She was genuinely and completely incapable of saving herself and so she left the control of the situation to a person who had just barely begun to prove themselves to her.

Her mind floated to the memories of the weeks following the supposed couple's outing.

She and Draco were walking towards Arithmancy hand in hand, and a Gryffindor walked by and attempted to trip them. He caught her, surprisingly, and sent a stinging hex to the culprit who managed to escape before it hit them. The witch had wanted to cry at that moment, but he patted her back and guided her into the classroom to sit together.

Afterwards, the two had locked themselves away in the room of requirements. Severus had been rather romantic in his pursuits towards her more recently and while the blond was a bit jealous, he listened to her going on about how much she cared for the professor and how it twisted her up inside when she didn't see him. He spoke of his family and how he had long since forsaken his beliefs about muggle-borns after realizing his feelings for her. He hated how his father spoke of half-bloods and muggle-borns as if they were somehow less than he, when Lucius had indeed caused multiple deaths and tortured muggles and magical people. Draco determined that those who took the lives of anyone were the truly awful people.

"Anyone can be awful, murderous witches or wizards, muggle-born or not, they're awful. But someone's blood heritage doesn't make any difference." The genuine strength he held in the belief made Hermione trust him a bit more each time they spoke. He hated his father for having thrust him into a life of servitude to a wizard who would see half of their kind murdered because he didn't find them fit to be magic.

She remembered the time that Severus had come to visit her one afternoon she was holed up in the Room of Requirements reading. She had been spending a lot more time there to avoid the wrath of her fellow Housemates and was reading a book in a rather cosy environment the room had offered up.

"Hermione?" He asked from the entrance, pushing open the door and peering around. A smile spread across her lips as he entered and she got up from the floor as he strode in. The witch leapt into his arms and kissed him deeply, his hands snaking around her body and pulling her close to him. When they parted, he looked down at her and rested his forehead against her, bent over as much as he could. "I am so sorry," he whispered but she just shook her head.

"You didn't do this, I did. I chose to kiss Draco, I initiated this whole mess and now I'm paying for it," she replied, folding into his arms and sighing.

"I am the one who kissed you, who brought you into this. Draco may have been the one who brought you to the attention of the Dark Lord but I should have stopped it, I should have saved you," he responded, holding her tightly.

"We will make it out of this," she reassured, mostly directing it at herself. The girl had been in a panic for weeks and had only just managed to soothe herself enough for the day after classes. Losing her friends and fearing her death as she hid a relationship with her professor was not easy. Let alone piling on top of that constant nausea that followed her whenever she was over stressed or anxious. The Room of Requirements was her sanctuary, but so were Severus' arms.

She relished in the memory of his embrace as she awaited her fate, hoping to avoid listening to the conversation that was going on around her. Unfortunately, the sound of the evil wizard's voice tore through her thoughts and sunk deep into her soul, forcing her to register what it was he was saying. "Our dear Draco fell in love with this filthy mudblood and tonight I will show him what it means to be a Death Eater. What it means to be pure," Voldemort promised, a shiver running down Hermione's spine. This is it, she shut her eyes tight and replayed the image of Severus in her mind. "Aveda Kev-"

"NO!" A female voice proclaimed before magic shook the room and everything went black.

You'll be able to see everything go down from Severus' perspective in the next chapter. Thank you for all the favourites, followers, reviewers, and readers!