A soft wind blew this very evening, making the water under the bridge ripple ever so slightly. A few stray leaves scattered alongside the desolate road; a road that had definitely seen better days.

The world was still and silent. Silent except for the few ragged breaths of a frightened woman standing on one side of the road, opposite two other figures. A woman who was, quite truthfully, having one of the strangest and (up to this point) one of the more emotionally taxing days of her young life.

…A woman who now stood silently.

…Absolutely afraid.

…Absolutely terrified.

Several seconds passed when not a word was spoken between both parties standing opposite each other, facing one another.

Somehow, someway, Hermione Granger found her voice and was able to whisper only two words in response to the scene she saw in front of her:

...'Oh no…'

Hermione spoke out loud to herself, staring in disbelief at the two men who stood on the opposite side of the empty road.

Her stomach dropped to her knees at the site of two very familiar faces. Faces that she had once remembered. Faces that she wished she had forgotten.

…It was the younger of the two who spoke first.

'Hermione,' he began softly, '-we…we just need to talk to you…just for a second…please don't run away…' pleaded the younger man, the wind rustling his hair ever so slightly, revealing his lightning shaped scar above his eyebrow.

…Harry Potter took one step towards the young woman.

…Hermione subconsciously took one step back.

'NO!' she exclaimed abruptly, putting one hand in front of her, suddenly feeling extremely defensive and on the brink of an on-coming mental breakdown.

'Don't…don't come any farther!' she yelled across the road, her eyes wide and wild with fear.

The man in black rolled his eyes.

'This is pointless…absolutely pointless' he spoke to the young boy, looking at him with disgust. '…Minerva must have been completely out of her mind to suggest that-'

'No, wait…give her some time,' the younger man interjected quietly, still looking at the young woman.

Hermione's eyes darted between the two men.

'Please…just please leave me alone…I…I just can't, OK? Whatever it is that you want, I…I just…' she stammered, hands in front of her, protecting her form.

The man in black scowled and looked at Hermione.

'Miss Granger-' Severus Snape began, addressing the young woman.

'-It's Doctor Granger to you,' she said in a deadly tone, her eyes narrowing at the towering man.

Severus rolled his eyes and snorted for the second time that evening, obviously annoyed with the current situation. Clearly, the girl was still just as stubborn and headstrong after all these years.

…The man in black turned to look at Harry, addressing him.

'Potter,' he began, '-you are a fool to not recognize that our unwelcomed intervention is quite obviously useless on several degrees…'

He paused to look at Hermione.

'-I do believe Miss Granger here wants us to leave her alone. And she will soon find herself quite alone, rest assured, once she takes a graceful swan dive into the frigid water below,' he said with a smirk.

Harry glowered at Severus.

'You know…you're not helping…Quit being such a git, and at least try to help,' Harry growled through clenched teeth.

Severus' eyes narrowed, obviously displeased at the younger man's tone. A small yet distinct voice could be heard across the road. Two sets of eyes locked on the figure across the way.

'I…I wasn't going to jump you know…' Hermione shouted, defending herself from across the desolate road, her voice echoing in the night.

'Oh really,' drawled Severus. 'Then pray tell, Miss Granger: what exactly were you doing hanging half over that railing behind you?' he drawled, gesturing towards the railing with a free hand.

'Trying to catch some dinner, perhaps?' he said with a sneer.

'With all due respect, Doctor Granger, – I thought the salaries they offered you young physicians would be much better considering-'

Hermione's face turned beet red, her brow creasing in the moonlight.

'I wasn't fishing, you…you…' Hermione stuttered.

She closed her eyes, shook her head, and suddenly turned towards the river, her back to the men across the way.

'Oh forget it,' she said in a huff, now staring at the tiny ripples in the water, her eyes stinging with tears.

She swallowed hard, hands gripping the rusty metal.

'Just let me be. Please,' she pleaded with the men across the road; her back still turned away from them.

At the sound of utmost defeat in her voice, Harry's eyes saddened, and he sighed.

'Please hear us out, 'Mione… It's for your own good, you know…,' he said, frustrated at his multiple failed attempts at trying to speak to her.

The young woman whipped around in an instant, her eyes wide with surprise at his snide comment, a wild grin on her face.

'My own good? What the fuck do you know about my own good?! What's good for me? Well what was good for me all these years was complete solitude! To be left alone! And now, you've gone and wrecked it now, haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU!?' she yelled at Harry, her voice cracking slightly.

Hermione stifled a sob with the back of her hand. Tears began to streak her cheeks, and she sniffled once or twice. Looking down, she moved her hand away from her face towards her chest and held it there.

Her chest hurt.

…It ached to breathe.

She was embarrassed at her loss of control, but she just couldn't help it. She was in too much physical and emotional pain.

…Harry took yet another step towards Hermione.

'Mione, are…are you alright?' he asked softly, obviously concerned for the young woman, and a bit remorseful regarding the abruptness of his last statement.

'No, I'm bloody not alright!' she shouted, her patience weaning. 'You…you both haven't any idea what-'

…But Hermione didn't have time to complete her thought.

…For out of the corner of her eye, she noticed, that a silvery wisp was making its way down the deserted road. At first, she squinted her eyes to try to distinguish what exactly was clearly headed in her direction, but at second glance, her body froze at the site that stopped directly in front of her.

…Hermione's eyes widened, her mouth forming a silent 'O.'

The silvery object, which was clearly in the form of a large frog, paused in the middle of the road before opening its mouth and speaking.

'Get her out of there now…before it's too late,' it bellowed.

…The frog lept into the night sky, leaving absolutely no trail behind.

Two sets of eyes, one green and one black, looked at the disappearing frog, and then focused on the woman in front of them.

Hermione stared back at the two men. All of a sudden, as if registering what had just occurred, she started shaking her head violently.

'No!' she commanded, '-absolutely not! Just leave me the hell ALONE!' she yelled across the road once again.

Hermione turned and began stomping back towards her vehicle.

Severus Snape rolled his eyes. Scowling, he spoke to the young woman.

'Miss Granger - I would not do that if I were you…' he said in a mocking form of tone.

Hermione stopped in her tracks. She angrily pointed a finger at the man in black and whispered in the most deadliest of tones, her eyes wild.

'I'm. Leaving.'

And just then, as if providing a rebuttal to her most recent statement, another silvery wisp shot down the road, scooted past the trio a few yards, and halted suddenly, returning quickly to pause by Hermione's car.

The silvery-white hare opened its mouth, and a woman's voice spoke to those gathered.

…Her words sent a chill down Hermione's spine.

'They're coming. They've found her. Do whatever it takes to make her safe,' the voice dreamily spoke to the three figures.

…And just as soon as it came, the hare leapt back down the road and out of site, disappearing into the chilly night.

Hermione turned, following the animal as it retreated, her eyes blinking a few times. She scrunched up her brow at the site of the hare as it faded into the evening sky, her mind racing at the voice of the hare.

'…Luna?' she whispered, the confusion unmistakable in her voice.

…And all of a sudden, without a single word or protest, without giving the young woman any time to resist, Hermione instantly felt two pairs of strong arms take hold of her, whisking her away into complete and utter darkness, disappearing into the night much like the two patronuses before her.