A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did Hermione and Draco would have been canon and not just a possibility. Let me know what you think! ~DL14

*Hermione POV*

We landed hard on the ground and I wasn't sure where we were. It was still dark out and it was cold, but I didn't have much on me to keep warm though. I didn't want to risk using magic. We weren't safe yet. We need to keep moving, we had to, so we didn't get caught, but I was so tired, I didn't want to move. I just wanted to sleep. Draco turned toward me, and I could still feel the spasms going through him.

"Come on, we have to get undercover. We are too exposed. We have to hide and keeping moving, just a little longer and then we can rest." Draco said, taking lead. How could he think straight? Just the fresh air was making me dizzy. But, standing up straight and moving? I couldn't even think of it. "I know you are tired Hermione, but the sooner we get out of the open the quicker we can think things through."

I nodded, and I could feel the tears that have made their way onto my face running down my chin. It hasn't really sunk in yet that we are out. We are finally out of that hell hole of a dungeon. What day is it? What time is it, besides the obvious fact that it is night? It is night, right? What if it was early morning? That's ridiculous Hermione, you know the raid was planned for night, so it had to be night. I nodded along with the Draco-like voice. More thoughts ran across my mind. Where are we? What are we going to do?

I felt Draco pull me towards the direction of what I guess were trees, more than seeing where we were going. Tears and exhaustion were making it hard to see. We both stumbled along, too afraid and cautious to use our wands for light, until we had made it into the woods. It was colder in the trees and darker due to the treetops covering the moon. It was the safest I had felt since we had landed a couple minutes ago.

"Please, can we stop? I am so tired Draco." I whispered, worried to talk any louder, and probably couldn't with how little use I have had speaking.

I watched as he looked everywhere around us. Up the trees, all the way in a circle, never letting go of me and I not letting go of him. I watched him nod and we just sunk to the ground where we were. No matter how much we want to stand and walk, the number of things we have been through make that impossible.

As I turned to look at Draco, I feel a smile spread across my face and before I know it I am laughing. It isn't long until Draco is laughing right along with me. We should be quiet, but the relief and hysteria has hit, and we can't stop. It felt nice, laughing. I hadn't done that since I was taken, and it felt nice to laugh with someone who I had become close too. While the circumstances weren't ideal, it worked. We were finally free from that place and the happiness of just knowing that there was a chance that things were going to be better for us, made our laughter worth it.

*Severus Snape POV*

Things these past few weeks have been anything, but normal. It started normal, all the annoyances going off to Hogsmeade for their weekend fun, which I call my day filled with solitude. It was normal, great, until lunch when I noticed that Draco had come in looking pale. I would have to talk to him before he went home. I knew what was waiting for him there and try as I might there isn't enough evidence to have them caught. I'm not on the inside anymore since at the end of the war my part of it had to be made known while I was lying on my death bed, and then somehow Ms. Granger made a cure with notes she had found in my desk.

That was the other thing that was noticed. Potter, Weasley, and the girl Weasley came back to the castle without her. I watched as they looked around the Great Hall, searching for something, someone, and watched as they all frowned.

Then, it got even worse in the morning when an unrecognizable Patronus came into the Hall during breakfast before everyone left.

"We have Hermione Granger." Is all it said, and everyone went silent, before it became an uproar. I could see the worry on Potter and the Weasley's faces, no doubt they are feeling guilt right about now, being the Gryffindors that they are. I turned toward Minerva whose face had turned ashen. I knew that she wouldn't be able to make the announcement, so I stood and held my wand to my throat.

"Everyone quiet down immediately! Seventh year prefects will lead the students who are going home for the holidays to the train, so they do not miss it. Anyone who is remaining will be escorted to the dormitories until further notice by the sixth- and fifth-year prefects who are staying. If none of you are staying you will be escorted by a staff member. You are to do this quickly and orderly, am I understood?" I asked, and they all nodded or made some recognition before they were herded out by the prefects. Potter and Weasley's made their way to the front.

"Did I not tell you all to leave?" I sighed. By this point, dealing with them isn't even worth the trouble and I do know that they are her friends and of course they are going to want answers on how things were going to go on looking for Ms. Granger.

"You did, but it wouldn't be us if we listened now would it Professor?" Potter stated, and I could see the annoying mischief in his eyes that were so like Lily's.

"No, it wouldn't be. Come along, we mustn't keep the staff waiting." I turned not even waiting on them, I knew they would keep up.

Entering the headmaster's office, I noticed that everyone had transfigured things into a table with chairs and all the information that I had gathered was in the middle.

"What are you three doing here and Severus, you allowed them to?" Minerva asked with an arched eyebrow. Thankfully she had gained some of her color back.

"I knew they would end up in here and saved us all the trouble of them trying to sneak in." I stated as I sat and duplicated the information that would last until I spelled them again. I laid them in front of the three who knew nothing of the new uprisings. "Read these as quick as you can, so we can get started."

Once the three had finished everything we were able to start planning.

After that evening, Potter and the two youngest Weasley were collected to go to the Weasley home for the holidays, of course with everything that had been bestowed upon them, I would be surprised if they were feeling very festive.

The holidays went by quickly with still no sign of Granger. We knew who had taken her that much was obvious, but we weren't sure where she was or how she was fairing. That was until all the students had gotten back and one student was not with them. Draco Malfoy was now also missing.

We are now two weeks back into the school year after the break and there is still no word about either child. Their friends are constantly coming to anyone on the staff that will listen to them. Blaise, Draco's best friend, and Potter have been more reserved. The Weasley boy had even stopped eating as much as he used to, and the girl just looked a mess. They shouldn't be like this. They had fought in a war already, they should be able to face this head on and be strong. It is like Ms. Granger is there strength and without her everything around here is meek.

I stand up to head to my rooms, not being able to look at the melancholy children any longer.

I had just sat down with a tumbler of Firewhiskey when a house-elf pops in.

"Master Severus, Mistress wanted Tizzy to give yous these letters. She is telling me that Tizzy no longer be a Malfoy elf, but a Black elf. Tizzy accepts that, Tizzy does. In honor of Mistress. Mistress said if Tizzy accepted to have Master Severus give Mr. Harry Potter his letter." Tizzy said with a deep bow in respect. Narcissa wouldn't do something so drastic unless she feared something, and she was making contingency plans.

I quickly opened the letter that was addressed to me and noticed there were three others, one wrote for Potter, as Tizzy said, one for Draco, and surprisingly Ms. Granger. I turned back to mine and read:

Severus,

My dear friend. The time has come that I finally go against my husband's word and do what I know I must do. By tonight, Draco and the Granger girl will be freed from Malfoy Manor. Alas, I do not know how things will go from there. They are both weak, tired, starving. I had Tizzy gather as much as he could and packed it for them. I told them not to go straight to Hogwarts, it wouldn't be safe. Use the week I told them to take and gather as much security around Hogsmeade and Hogwarts that you can. As I said they are weak. They have both been subjected to many Crucio's, more than I want to count and Draco was hit with Sectumsempra. With what they have been through Severus, I would be surprised if they weren't a little insane. Protect them once they get there. Do not try to separate them, I do not know what it would do to them if you did.

I have sent letters for Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, and Draco to be given to them in time. Give Mr. Potter his if Tizzy accepts being a House of Black house-elf. I had to get him to safety and I have everything explained in that letter. Give Ms. Granger's to her as soon as she is feeling up to it. She needs to know what is in that letter. Do NOT give Draco's to him unless something happens to me, otherwise, leave what is in that envelope be.

Make sure they are safe, Severus. They need to be taken care of, please do not fail in that my dear old friend.

Love, Cissa"

I hurriedly discarded my tumbler and rushed to tell everyone of the news. We had a lot of work to do before they got here, and we would be ready to protect them.