Nothing in the world of Harry Potter belongs to me. I'm just playing in the great J.K. Rowling's sand box. Thank you.

Shorter chapter, but the hope is that I will post a little more often if the chapters aren't as long. Means I don't cover all the story that I want to each chapter, but it'll work.

Chapter 10 – Danger Lurks

March 7, 1995

It had been a little over a month since Hermione had started private lessons with Professor Snape and she was already starting to feel more confident in her abilities. So far, they had mostly worked on various defensive and offensive spells. The major change was that her Professor had taught her nonverbal spell, which she took to easily. Now however, he insisted that all or her spell work be nonverbal during their lessons.

As Hermione walked down to the dungeons, she wondered if they would continue with their nonverbal dueling, or if they would be working on something new. She barely noticed that she had arrived at the door to the classroom until she had almost walked into it. Startling out of her thoughts, she knocked lightly on the hard wood.

"Enter," Severus Snape called out to her.

Upon seeing the young witch enter the room, he put his quill down, stoppered the jar of ink, and straightened the stack of essays he had been working on.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Let's get started then," Severus told her, standing and walking to the door at the back of the classroom.

Hermione followed him quietly, as he led her on their usual path through first his office, then his private sitting room, and finally through a long hallway that ended at the schools dueling hall. She had asked about the hallway connecting his sitting room and the dueling hall during their first lesson. He had simply told her that he would frequently duel with his late wife and the castle had eventually provided them with more direct access. Sensing that discussing his late wife was painful, she had dropped it.

On this night, as they entered the dueling hall, Hermione had barely pulled her wand from her the back pocket of her jeans before Severus Snape had disarmed her with a silent spell. The force of the spell stung her hand as the length of vinewood was ripped from her hand. Scowl firmly in place, she turned to the snarly Professor, prepare to challenge his methods.

"You would do better to be aware at all times. However, for tonight's lesson, you will not need your wand," Snape announced as he slipped the slender wand in one of his coat pockets. "Since you are confident and competent in nonverbal spells, we will start to work on ways for you to combat a larger opponent."

"Now, the best way to do this and what would have helped you on that night would be a nonverbal and wandless shield charm," he explained.

"But isn't wandless magic difficult to direct," she asked.

"Yes, but there are a few exceptions, and shield charms are one of them. In this case, you aren't meant to direct the magic. It tends to be a wild force that wraps around you, blocking spells, but also repelling any physical shape within the radius," Severus explained gently.

"So, you're saying that if I had been able to do this on that night ..." Hermione asked, trailing off instead of going into detail.

"Yes. It's a way to protect yourself from those that have the upper hand when it comes to physical strength," Severus answered the unfinished question. "Now, much like nonverbal spells, you are going to need to envision yourself casting the spell, using the incantation silently. However, the difference is that you won't channel the magic through your wand. Instead, you need to envision the magic coming from you core, spreading outward around you in a protective bubble."

Snape waited a moment for her to take in the information and see if she had any questions. Instead she simple nodded to him in understanding.

"Good, go ahead and give it a try. If you are successful, I'll be able to see your magic surrounding you," he explained, stepping back a few places to give her room.

Standing in the middle of the dueling hall, she tried to concentrate. Within her mind she focused in the core of her magic, then envisioned the protection of the spell surrounding her. When she felt she had a good visual, she shouted the spell in her mind - Protego.

Severus watched the young witch, giving her time to give it a solid try. He watched her inner magic very briefly spark from her core, but it fizzled out instead of becoming a proper spell. When Hermione opened her eyes, she looked at him, silently asking where she had gone wrong.

"Try it again," he insisted. "It is difficult magic and hard for your core to understand at first. As with anything, the more you try, the better you will get."

Hermione nodded with determination and tried again. And again. And again. She tried for close to any hour with no results. Severus had taken to wandering around her in a wide circle, trying to figure out what the problem was. At the half hour mark, he had come up with an idea, but he didn't like it, stalling in the hopes that he could think of something else. However, he only had one idea.

The witch had her eyes closes, working on visualizing the spell, when he came up behind her suddenly. Severus threw his strong arms around her, pulling her back, tight against him. She struggled and opened her mouth to scream, but he wrapped one large hand over her mouth, reducing the sound the muffled desperation.

He held her close to him, easily evading and countering her each attempt to escape him. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled against him, her mind no longer in the dueling room, but back by the lake, with Victor's large form on top of her, holding her tight. Suddenly the potion master's voice snapped her back to the present.

"Focus," he snarled in her ear.

She still continued to fight against him, but in her mind, she visualizes her magic surrounding her in protection, she saw her attacker's hold being broken and the person being thrown backwards by the force of her shield. Mentally, while the image was strong, she shouted the spell again.

This time, her magic surged outward, away from her, creating the bubble of protection that was the protego shield charm. Snape was thrown free of her, landing five feet away from the witch. Wincing, he sat himself up with a grin, pleased that she had successfully produced a wandless, nonverbal shield charm.

Seeing her crumpled on the floor sobbing sets him into motion. Jumping to his feet, he crossed the room to her and sunk back to the floor beside her. Severus wrapped his arms around her, pulling Hermione into his embrace. She fought against him physically, but he simple held on as gently as he could with her struggling, whispering into her hair.

"You're safe, Miss Granger. Everything is alright. You are safe," he told her, trying to bring her out of the memories he knew were playing through her mind.

Still, she struggled against him, sobbing uncontrollably. Her attempts getting weaker as she tired. Suddenly, he can feel her magic building around her.

"Hermione," Severus pleaded. "You are safe. I promise. I've got you."

He kissed and stroked her hair with his face, continuing to consul her. The memories of Victor and that cold December night faded from her mind. They were replaced by an all-encompassing warmth and soothing presence that she recognized as her professor's magic and words washing over her. The magic faded away and she collapsed into his embrace, the sobs trailing off into hiccup like gasps for breath, tears still streaming down her face.

Once she stopped fighting him, he loosened his hold. She protested slightly, but settled again as he started stroking her hair, his hand trailing through her silky curls. His free hand drifted down to her face, long fingers gently wiping away the tears. Her breathing started to come easier and the tears slowed. Noticing this, he uses one hand and gently lifted her head up so that he could look into her eyes.

"I'm sorry to have put you through that. Are you alright?" Severus asked, still holding her to him.

"I think so," Hermione responded. "I feel drained and pretty shaken up though."

"That is to be expected when reliving a trauma like that, Miss Granger," he responded.

"You called me Hermione," she stated, looking up at him, a slight question in her tone.

Reluctantly, Severus untangled himself from the witch in his arms, suppressing a pained protest. Hermione groaned, disappointed at the loss of his arms around her and the comfortable safe feeling.

"My apologies, Miss Granger. That was very unprofessional of me. I simply was concerned for your welfare," he explained, putting the mask of professor back into place.

She's not yours yet, Severus. Remember that, his mind scolded him.

Hermione couldn't hide her disappointment as he apologized for things she didn't regret. Something about the dark, snarky wizard drew her to him and she couldn't explain it. It was just one more of those gut feelings, the thoughts that led to a blank wall in her mind.

"I believe that concludes our lesson today. Your magic will be somewhat drained after producing that shield. You will feel weak and a little displaced, but that should fade and you magic recovered by the morning," Severus explained.

She nodded, annoyed by his detached tone and posture. She had liked to think they had become something of friends in the weeks he had been training her. He had been less formal and stiff, but now he had reverted to his classroom self.

"If you wish to practice your shield, there are many empty classrooms with desks you can throw around," he admitted wryly. "Just be aware of you magic and don't push yourself too hard too fast. The more you work on the wandless, wordless shield, the easier it will become and will eventually take very little magic to produce. It is useful for dislodging physical attackers as you've just witnessed, but can also be helpful of you've been disarmed and need to flee."

Pausing briefly to observe his student, he waited to see if she had any questions. When she just nodded in response, he continued.

"Well, I think that is all for this evening. Be sure to find some time to practice. I believe you'll find that you should be able to summon the motivation to accomplish the spell without ... uhm ... someone attacking you."

He led the way back through his private chambers and back to the classroom, for her to depart, the silence between them felt thick and heavy. She had arrived at the classroom door and was about to open it when he broke the silence.

"You did very well tonight, Miss Granger," Severus admitted, seated at his desk, with his focus on a pile of essays.

Hermione smiled to herself and left him to his grading, making her way back to Gryffindor Tower. While she expected they had taken a step backwards, his final statement showed her that it wasn't quite a hopeless as it has felt.

He was running faster than he ever had in his life, legs covering the distance between the headmaster's office and the entry hall in less than half the normal time. However, it had felt like it had taken him hours to cover that distance. Bursting through the front doors, he surveyed the lawn of Hogwarts spread out in front of him.

Even in the light of the full moon and the resulting silvery sheen on the grass, he didn't spot the distinct figure he was looking for. Taking off again, he stumbled down the stairs and across the lawn.

"Hermione," he screamed, fear heavy in his voice.

Breaths were ragged and gasping, and the effort it had taken him to scream out her name had his steps faltering and black dots appearing before his eyes.

A feminine scream echoed across the grounds, originating from within the Forbidden Forest. The terror drove Severus onward, angling towards the clearest path into the forest. He was just passing Hagrid's Hut and entering the trees when a second scream pierced the night. This scream however was one of agony and severe pain.

Even though he felt like he didn't have anything left in him, he plowed forward, his heavy dragonhide boots trampling the foliage and he followed the sound off the main path. His foot caught in a lifted root concealed leaves, sending the panicked potion master tumbling to the ground. He wasn't able to get his hands under him fast enough, slamming his head into the ground hard.

Ignoring the throbbing, disorientated feeling, he scrambled forward, crawling on hands and knees until he could get his feet under him. Moments later, he burst into a clearing. In the center of the clearing, the witch he sought lay, dirty and bloodied. Stumbling over to her, he knelt down next to her, studying her prone form. Her chest still rose and fell with her breaths; however, they were shallow and ragged. Jagged slashes all over, ripped apart her body and blood continued to ooze from her incredibly pale form. Her wand lay him her open hand, that plus her continued breathing proved she had been able to fight off her attacker. Grabbing her off hand in between his two larger hands, he clung to her.

"Hermione," he choked out, tears tracking down his face as he watched her face, hoping her eyes would open for him.

Severus had been working on an experimental variant of the pepper-up potion all evening. He had lost himself in his brewing and it was well into the night when he had noticed her absence. Concerned, Severus had gone to see the headmaster. The old man had taken his time telling him that Hermione had taken off into the Forbidden Forest to gather some potion ingredients during the full moon and Albus had taken it upon himself to send Remus after her to insure her safety.

It was at that moment he had leapt into action, throwing himself down the moving staircase without even bidding Dumbledore farewell. During his brewing, it had also escaped his notice that Remus, who had been staying at Hogwarts for a time, hadn't stopped in to collect his wolfsbane, per the letter Severus had sent him earlier in the day. That was how he had ended up on blooded and breathless in the dirt clutching his witch's hand.

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered, revealing pained honey brown eyes. The howl of a wolf in the distance jolted him out of his daze and he jumped into action. With a flick of his wrist, his wand dropped from its holster and into his hand. Black eyes scanned the trees for danger before he turned to Hermione.

Muttering incantations under his breath and waving his wand over his body, he started to heal the largest of the jagged wounds. Severus was watching the tear slow start stitching itself back together with such single-minded devotion, that he was shocked when Hermione's arms surged up, pushing him away.

"No," she moaned, blood bubbling up at the corner of her mouth.

"I can fix this," Severus insisted. "I can save you."

"No."

"Please don't leave me," he pleaded.

Hermione's eyes met his dark black orbs, pain and helplessness evident. He understood. Severus knew that even if he could save her, the wounds had been inflicted by a werewolf and she didn't want to live like that. Clutching her hand again in his, he pulled it into his chest.

"Please don't leave me," he repeated. We will figure something out. Don't go. I need you."

Hermione weakly squeezed his hand for a moment before her eyes fluttered closed and her arm went limp. Her chest no longer rose with breath. Severus growled and roared in agony, wrapping his arms around the witch's body and pulling her into him.

"No. I love you. I need you. I can't do this without you," he pleaded, to the lifeless body in his arms, tears dripping into her hair.

The sun was staring to break though the canopy of the forest by the time his tears had dried up. Exhausted and aching all over, he lifted himself off the forest floor, Hermione's body in his arms. Trudging through the brush, his boots weighing him down and catching on every branch, he moved toward the castle.

Miraculously, he had made it without stumbling or dropping the witch in his arms. Upon arriving in the dungeons, he entered his chambers and settled her on his bed. Severus stood beside he bed, gazing upon her for just a little longer. Eventually, with energy fueled by his rage, he turned on his heel and stalked toward the fireplace, tossing in the floo powder and emerging in the headmaster's office.

"Where is he?" Severus demanded.

"Now, calm down Severus," Albus insisted, standing from his chair. "Remus is resting. He's had a rough night."

"He's had a rough night!" Severus roared. "She is dead, Albus. Dead because that stupid wolf couldn't do one simple thing! Dead because he didn't take his stupid fucking potion. I want he fucking pelt!"

"Stop now, Severus," Dumbledore insisted, his voice raising. "I am sorry for your loss, but Remus is needed! He's the only hope we have of controlling the werewolves and getting more to take the wolfsbane potion. We cannot spare him. No one can know he was responsible."

"What?" Severus snarled. "You're just going to let him get away with it? Did you not here me, Albus? He killed her. Ripped her to shreds and the only reason he didn't tear out and eat her still beating heart was that she got a spell off at him."

"And it is a tragic loss," Albus said. "However, for the greater good, we must say nothing. We must protect Remus and find another way to explain her death."

"This is unacceptable ..." Severus started to yell, but the headmaster cut him off.

"Do not forget who you work for," Dumbledore roared. "You came to me, begging for another chance, requesting that I save you from him and the Ministry and I did. You will obey me."

Severus glared at the old man, silent and stewing in his rage, but smart enough to know when to shut up."Good," Albus said, returning to his gentler demeanor. "Now, Hermione's death is tragic, but we must cover it up. Get rid of the body and I will figure something out in the meantime. You will not speak of this."

Severus simply nodded, gritting his teeth to keep him tongue in check before flooing back to his chambers.

Things are not always what they seem. Hoping to have the next chapter up sooner than the last few updates to connect the dots, so hang in there with me as this story unfolds, and don't give up!