(disclaimer: see beginning)

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And of course a thanks to my betas McGonagall's Bola and Emilia Wolfe. You guys are great! :)

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Previously:

Draco appeared to think it over, even though he didn't really need to. Of course he was going to help Blaise. His plan would help stop the Dark Lord, but in a way that wouldn't be so obvious as to paint targets on their backs. His demise would also take a giant burden off of the blonde's shoulders and those of his family, and to sweeten the pot, he could secure his mother's and his safety.

"I'm in."

Chapter 13

Severus sat, legs crossed, on the stone floor of his laboratory. His robes and frock coat were thrown haphazardly into a rumpled pile somewhere off to his left. A wooden bowl, full of herbs and Acheron river water, was placed in front of him and a clump of Miss Granger's hair, taken straight from her brush, was in his left hand. His blood, welling from the slice he had made in his palm, was already soaking the curly strands.

It had taken him all of an hour to get the ritual for astral projection set up. If it hadn't been for the fact that the herb mixture had to 'stew' for nearly half an hour, his spirit would probably already be bounding across the Astral Plane and finding Miss Granger. Instead, he had been left in the dark about his student's disappearances, and now he had to wait, which was bad for Miss Granger, since every second within that book could be the difference between life and death for her. Especially since she had been in there for so long already.

His mind went back to mentally cursing the Headmaster for so foolishly trifling in matters that he knew nothing about. In the past, he had made some debatable decisions, but truly, this one took the cake, and it made Severus itch to strangle the older wizard with his own beard.

Inhaling through his nostrils, Severus reorganized his thoughts. He could curse Albus' name to Hades later. For now, he needed a clear head to make this projection work. With a curt "Incendio" the entire mixture lit with orange flames. He snatched up Miss Granger's blood-soaked, curly locks and quickly tossed them in. As the smoke rose into his face, he closed his eyes and began whispering the needed incantation.

His words died down as a cold breeze swept through his entire body, freezing it. His heartbeat sped up as pressure slowly built in his chest, and a deep red light engulfed his immobile form. Finally, he felt that telling pull in his chest that meant his spirit was being drawn from his body.

Free of his physical confines, Severus' spirit self looked down at his frozen body, while flexing his astral muscles awake. In front of his abandoned body, a spiral of orange-yellow smoke rose from the mixture. It reached out to him, weaving its way around his spirit body, and then sinking inside of him. Above him, the ceiling slowly bled into a dark, luminous night sky. Bright stars blinked at him in welcome.

There was another, sharper tug, and then Severus was flying. His spirit form broke past the boundaries of the Astral Plane, soaring amongst the flickering stars and following the internal compass leading him to his target at impossible speeds.

All too soon, his flight came to an end and Severus felt himself pushing against an invisible barrier with a loud POP. Suddenly, he was standing next to the Black Lake at Hogwarts. The glowing ring of deep red, with spots of orange-red peppered in, continued to surround his body, confirming that he was still in spirit form. The Astral Projection had worked.

So why was he at Hogwarts? Could this be what Headmaster Trimble had said about 'expanding the Soul Book'? By making it look like Hogwarts? How odd. The Potions professor hadn't expected that.

His innate sense of curiosity was slightly piqued, and a small part of him wanted to see what else Trimble had managed to create, even knowing he wouldn't be able to. The small glimpse of the Black Lake he was seeing now was nothing more than a reflection of the Soul Book's world, as seen on the Astral Plane. The only reason he was able to see this much, was because the projection ritual had taken him to wherever Miss Granger was.

Speaking of Miss Granger…where is that girl? Severus thought as he walked along the lake's shore, taking in his surroundings. The projection had clearly worked, so the girl had to be somewhere nearby.

He continued walking, keeping his eyes peeled and getting more frustrated with each Grangerless second. Finally he spotted a light orange-yellow glow from the corner of his eye. Finally!

Sitting on top of a couple of boulders by the tides, in a flowing green gown, was a young woman. She was looking straight out at the lake, so Severus could only see her profile, but it was enough for him to immediately recognize that she was beautiful. With hair that was a rich chestnut, flowing down her back in loose rings, cream-colored skin, curving, full lips, sweeping lashes and large, doe-like eyes. The orange-yellow glowing ring surrounding her only seemed to enhance her graceful features and give her a nearly ethereal appearance.

Severus felt his eyes travel down the woman's frame, taking in her shapely figure, silently humming in approval. But he had to wonder why the projection ritual had taken him to this attractive stranger instead of Miss Granger.

He knew with absolute certainty that this woman couldn't be his over-eager student. When he conjured up mental images of the constantly hand-waving girl, with her bushy, haystack hair, mousy features and buckteeth, and compared them to this woman, he knew they couldn't be the same person.

Not even close, he thought dismissively. The hair might have been the same color, but that was as far as the similarities went. Maybe I did the spell wrong…

He swiveled on his heel and prepared to cut the connection that kept him tethered to the Astral Plane short, so he could return to his body and start over, when the woman spoke.

"Is someone there?" a pleasant voice asked, cautiously. Snape turned back around and met a pair of very familiar cinnamon brown eyes.

Stunned, his jaw dropped, as his brain finally caught up with him and supplied the reason why those eyes and this woman were suddenly so familiar. As he continued to stare, at whom he now realized was Miss Granger, the only thing he could think of was, Fuck.

The woman blinked and then squinted her eyes, at the blurry, glowing figure a couple of meters away from her. "Who are you? Why can't I see you? What is this place?"

Her rambling questions, a quintessential trait of Granger, snapped Severus out of his stupor. With a shake of his head, he stepped forward, until he was standing in front of her rock.

"You cannot see me, because your eyes are unused to seeing on the Astral Plane. Your sight will return with time and practice, and even though you cannot see me clearly, I assure you, I am Professor Snape. I've brought you to the Astral Pla─Oof!"

Fumbling awkwardly off her stony seat, his previously lost student rushed forward, swinging her arms around his thin waist. Her arms squeezed him tight, as tears of relief flowed from her eyes. An excited babble of words tumbled from her mouth as she hugged him, but none of them registered to the Potion Master's shocked brain.

Snape stood immobile, his arms bound to his sides by Miss Granger's tight embrace. Had she looked up, she probably would have laughed at how comically wide his eyes had bulged from surprise.

What in Nimue's name? Severus thought, his mind numb from the unexpected hold. He was the dreaded Potions Professor, the Greasy Git, and the Evil Bat of the Dungeons. No student smiled at him, let alone hugged him. Has the Soul Book addled Miss Granger's brain? Was I right? Am I too late to save her?

As these thoughts were distracting him from paying attention to the witch's words, other parts of his body were more than happy to pay attention to her and the soft curves that were now pressing into his body. The wizard suddenly felt a stirring in his lower half, where he was pushed into her stomach.

Horror filled him, as he realized that his traitorous body was reacting to her suggestive proximity. With no other thoughts, other than those screaming at him to get his student off of him before she felt his involuntary excitement, he grabbed Miss Granger's shoulders and shoved her away.

He immediately began calling upon his Occlumency skills to calm his apparently over-eager libido. He shoved at the harmful thoughts of how Miss Granger's pliable figure felt molding into his and how she had looked, while sitting alone on the boulder, with her inviting lips and─

No! No, no, no, no! He pushed again, sweeping all those thoughts away, and locking them into the recesses of his mind, never to be resurfaced again. With a deep breath, he willed himself back under control, utilizing a mental image of Hagrid in a speedo to finish the job.

He let out a sigh of relief when all signs of danger had passed. When his intellect was once more the master of his mind and body, denial was quick to follow on its heel.

It's just been a while since I've been with a witch, so my body jumped at the first opportunity that was presented. It wasn't that I actually found my student attractive, the same reaction would have happened with any other woman in the same position…and, it didn't help that Miss Granger was so unrecognizable. She's obviously been in the Soul Book longer than I expected, and it was shock, more than anything, that caused the reaction that happened.

As far as lies went, it was unbelievably thin, and wouldn't hold up under further scrutiny, but he wasn't planning to analyze it or this moment later on. Or ever. As far as he was concerned this was a memory that was better left discarded from his psyche, forever lost and never to be seen again. And with the help of his Occlumency shields and an extremely strong dose of denial, that was exactly what would happen.

Unfortunately, or fortunately in Severus' case, the abrupt push and ensuing silence from the Potions Master, lead the young woman to believe that she had angered her volatile professor.

Her eyes widened in alarm. "Sir," she began, chewing her lip nervously. "Um, I'm sorry that I just jumped at you like that. I don't know what came over me─well I do know. I was just so happy to finally see someone from the outside world, to talk to them, that I couldn't contain myself. It was like an involuntary reaction to hug you─"

Severus cringed at the words, 'involuntary reaction', but the witch obviously mistook it as a sign that he was insulted, because she immediately back-pedaled.

"Not that hugging you is terrible or anything. I'm sure it's very pleasant and enjoyable, WAS pleasant and enjoyable rather, since I've actually experienced it for myself just now. Not that I took any extra pleasure from it because that would be creepy─or, well, I can't say creepy, because you're not, sir. More of the opposite actually. I actually meant to say it was inappropria─"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Severus interrupted her with a frustrated plea of, "Miss Granger!"

He was actually more relieved with her rambling than he let on, because it was just the annoyance he needed to remember that he was dealing with his student here─his very irritating student─and not some random woman.

Hermione's cheeks turned bright red from her embarrassment. "Sorry," she apologized, sheepishly, continuing in slow, measured words. "I meant to say, that I didn't mean to jump on you like that. It's been so long since I've contacted anyone from the outside, that I got carried away."

"Yes, well," Severus replied gruffly, taking a step back to reestablish the appropriate boundaries. "Now that you mention it, I need to know how long you've been stuck in the Soul Book, so I know what I'm dealing with. You did keep track of how long you've been here, correct?"

"Of course, I started a diary the second day I was here, just in case. So far I've marked nearly two years all together. Why? How long has it been in the real world? I know the time is different here, but I wasn't sure how different."

Moving to lean against one of the large rocks, Severus answered absentmindedly, "Eight days," while he pondered her answer. The situation was worse than he had estimated. He had hoped that the witch would give him a smaller time frame, maybe a few months at most, a couple of weeks at the least, but two years? He knew he had mentioned to Albus that it was possible that eighty years could have passed, but that was in extremely rare cases, with books that were fed sacrifices for hundreds of years on end. Still, two years was highly unusual, and Severus had to wonder again, just how many victims Colten Rossier had sacrificed to create such a powerful book.

Severus was shaken from his musing when he heard Miss Granger say, "Only a week? Wow, I assumed that I had at least missed the end of the school year and my finals…Well, at least I'll be able to take them now."

Snape raised an eyebrow, incredulous at how blasé the witch was treating her situation. Did she have no idea how much danger she was in? On the other hand, it was surprisingly pleasant to know that disregarding her outward appearance, she was still the same swotty bookworm.

"I assure you, Miss Granger, your finals are the least of your worries. You should be more concerned about the consequences with staying in a Soul Book for as long as you have," he chided.

"Consequences? Do you mean like the Soul-Suckers that are trapped in here as well? Because─"

"You've seen the sacrificed souls? How long were you around them? Did any of them bite or scratch you?" Severus urgently asked, grabbing his student by her shoulders in a firm grip. He gave her a little shake. "Speak up!"

Startled, Hermione stumbled over her words. "Um, n─no, no! I wasn't injured. Fera helped me get to safety. I mean she was hurt by one of those things, clawed, I think, but she's fine now…"

Fine? I highly doubt it…but damn! Definitely no chance of getting the other one out now…Instead of voicing his thoughts, he said, "You were very fortunate. In the future, you are to be even more careful. It will only take me a day and a half to get the ingredients I need to start the ritual for getting you out and the last thing I need is for you to inadvertently get yourself blown up because you couldn't stay still for two seconds."

Seemingly unaffected by his brash manner, Hermione merely agreed. "Okay, that sounds doable. Is there anything that Fera and I need to do before you can get us out?"

Severus inwardly cursed. He was hoping to avoid this topic all together, but it looked like the witch wouldn't be satisfied until she knew the whole truth. Relenting, he explained, "Miss Granger, I will only be getting one of you out. It's bad enough that you've exposed yourself to the Soul Book for two years already, but your friend, I'm afraid, is a lost cause."

"What?" Hermione shouted, dubiously. "You must be joking! I'm not leaving Fera. I promised her I wouldn't. And what does it matter how long we've been in here? Getting us out shouldn't be a problem! Just do the bloody ritual for two, instead of one!"

"I assure you, Miss Granger," he growled, taking a menacing step forward. "I am not in the habit of joking, and if I say that it can't be done, then it can't. And for future reference, I would watch your tone when addressing me. Not only am I still your professor, but I am currently your only hope of getting out of this mess!" He was nearly shouting by the end of it.

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down on this issue. Severus for his part was a little shocked and miffed that the young woman was no longer so easily cowed by his stare. She had never been a student to buck against authority, or to be disrespectful, unless of course she really wanted to answer a question, but to brazenly square off against him like this? It was unheard-of behavior, and this new backbone, among the many other changes, had Severus wondering what on Earth she had been up to in that book!

The stubborn witch was the first to break their tense silence. Still glaring, though now looking at least somewhat more thoughtful, she asked a simple, yet loaded question.

"Why not?"

Severus grunted. "Soul Books are incredibly dark relics, potentially one of the most dangerous magical relics a wizard or witch can create. Unlike enchanted magical items, the Soul Book, because of its…diet has the potential to become a sentient relic─a parasite with only one goal: to consume as many souls as possible. When you used your blood to break the book's chains, you broke the curse that was containing it."

"I didn't use my blood─well I didn't mean to at least. I don't even remember that night really. I just remember feeling compelled to walk somewhere," Hermione murmured, deep in thought now.

"Yes, I had hoped that you weren't thoughtless enough to go splashing your blood on random magical objects. As for the compulsion you were feeling, that was the Soul Book."

Hermione gasped. "I was also having dreams about Fera a few nights prior to the book incident…Do you think…?"

"Again," he said, trying to summon some patience. He was suddenly tired of this entire encounter and more than ready to leave. "You can thank the book, but back to my point. There are two ways for the book to absorb a soul. The first is through a sacrifice that is killed and offered up by the book's master and the second way is through imprisonment inside of the book."

"But that would mean─"

"That would mean that for every second a target is inside a Soul Book, their soul is slowly being bound to the book, until it is completely siphoned out and the person dies. It can take anywhere from a week to 100 years to accomplish the task, depending on the prisoner's will, but the task WILL be accomplished eventually. Whether it be through exposure or one of the sacrificed souls infecting you," Severus said, letting the witch absorb his words fully.

Worried-filled cinnamon eyes, looked up at him. "I've been in here for two years…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, as she hugged herself. Severus could see her struggling to keep the panic down.

At this point, any of her other professors would have probably sought to reassure her, but not him. Unlike his colleagues, he wouldn't disservice the witch by lying to her or offering her empty platitudes. What he was giving her was much more valuable in her situation.

The cold, hard truth.

"Exactly, the process has already begun for you…Now, you can only imagine how far along your friend is, since she's been in there longer."

"Wait a moment…" Hermione paused to do the calculations in her head. Her jaw dropped as she reached an impossible number. "If two years have passed in a span of a week for me, then that must mean Fera has been here for thousands of years."

The wizard's hand waved dismissively. "Highly unlikely, as she would be dust by now, if that were the case─no matter her willpower. It's more probable that the book has gone into overdrive to accommodate the two prisoners it has to deal with, instead of just the one it was designed to handle. Even so, she has still been missing for nearly two hundred years in the real world...I wouldn't be surprised if that translated to at least eight hundred years in the book."

"Dear God. Poor Fera…"

"Yes." Severus turned to look at the smooth reflective surface of the lake. "Adding in the fact that she was injured by one of the sacrificed souls…the Soul Book has its claws so firmly hooked into your friend that getting her out would be futile now."

Tears welled in Miss Granger's eyes as she stepped back, leaning into the boulder for support. Her hand came up to smother a choked sob. "I─I promised her...I promised..." Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

Now, Severus was never one to become uncomfortable in the face of a crying student. In fact, he was so often the cause of the tears, that he had become desensitized to the whole thing, even going so far as to find some of the more comical waterworks, humorous. However, there was nothing even remotely funny about this situation or Miss Granger's despair, and Severus found himself, for the first time in a long time, compelled to offer comfort to a pupil.

Then again, how often do you tell your students that their friend is only two steps away from becoming a walking zombie?

So, Severus reached out a hand, awkwardly patting the Gryffindor's shoulder and flinching at the stiff, contrived movement. Why couldn't Minerva be here to deal with this or better yet, Albus? Oh yeah, it's because they have absolutely no fucking idea how to deal with Soul Books.

He searched his brain for something to say. "Miss Grang─"

─There was a flash of burning heat on his left arm, much more intense than he was used to. He staggered away from the crying witch, clutching at his covered mark and unable to hide the small flinch of pain.

"I have to go," he panted, striding away, down the shore, "I won't be able to do the ritual to get you out until the day after tomorrow, but I'll try to contact you again before then. Stay out of the Forbidden Forest. Don't go near any of the sacrificed souls or let them bite or claw you. The venom in their fangs and claws makes you more susceptible to the Soul Book's curse. And for Merlin's sake, don't do anything brash or stupid," he bit out, as he cut his Astral line.

His consciousness went zipping back across the open night sky and back to his body in record time. With a harsh gasp, he was once more in his own body, sitting on his dungeon floor.

His mark flared again sharply, prompting him to stumble clumsily to his feet. His legs, now unused to supporting his body, immediately buckled under the added weight. He was able to catch the edge of his lab table just in time. Regulating his pulse, he slowly pushed himself back upright, flexing his leg muscles until they felt like more than just two sticks of Jell-O.

Cracking his neck, and stretching out his torso and arms, he shook the numbness from his body until he was feeling relatively normal again. Running awkwardly to his rooms, he grabbed his Death Eater robes and mask and shrugged them on, while simultaneously trying to ignore the, by now, pulse of pain ringing through his left arm.

A part of him was worried about what the summons could mean. The pain he was feeling through his mark could only mean that the Dark Lord was upset about something, and it most likely involved him, but those thoughts were already being buried securely behind his Occlumency walls. Rushing out of his rooms, up the hallways and through the gates of the school, he Apparated away, following the pull from his mark.

With a loud crack, he landed in front of the grand doors to the Lestrange Manor. He took a second to check his mental shields one last time, and when he was satisfied that they were properly holding, and that his memories of the Soul Book and Granger were safely hidden, he calmly pushed the doors open.

Getty, the Lestrange's head House Elf and a pitiful-looking creature, appeared beside Severus. His head was bowed expertly, not making eye contact, while he pointed towards the wizard's robes to take them off his hands. Severus waved him off, burying the usual feelings of pity whenever he saw the broken little creature. Instead, he made his way down the long looming hallway, arriving in front of the large doors barring him from the Lestrange's extensive dining hall. He didn't stop to knock on the door and just proceeded inside. He was expected in any case, and keeping the Dark Lord waiting any longer, even with something as small as common courtesy, would just be another mark against him.

His entrance was immediately spotted by several of his fellow Death Eaters who were standing by the door. He kept walking, his covered head held high with false confidence as he came closer to the center of the room, where the Dark Lord was perched on his transfigured throne of twisted metal, made to look like curling Devil's Snare.

Finally spotting him, the Dark Lord sat up in his throne, his familiar curling around his feet. His red eyes narrowed as he looked down upon the spy. "Sssseverussss…You finally grace usss with your presence."

Severus bowed low, showing his deference. His words, muffled slightly by his mask, were filled with contrite repentance─false, though it was. "I beg your forgiveness, my Lord. I was unfortunately detained in an unavoidable situation, but I came as fast as I could."

From somewhere within the crowd of Death Eaters, there was a snicker. The professor didn't have to lift his head to know that it was probably Bellatrix enjoying his unpleasant situation.

Aside from Bellatrix's attempt to mock him, the room was silent as the Dark Lord deliberated over whether to forgive him or punish him. Severus knew even if he was forgiven, there was a high possibility that he would still be punished. Just because.

Standing from his throne, the Dark Lord descended, moving in front of his bowing follower. "You sssay it was unavoidable…and I have to wonder what could possibly keep you? I have heard from my other loyal subjects that you have not been seen for the last two days at Hogwarts. You were not present when the students arrived, nor present for your classes the next day. Why is that, Sssseverussss?"

Severus' thoughts whirled behind his cool demeanor. Shit, I was stuck talking to Miss Granger longer than I thought. I should have known that time even in the Astral reflection of the Soul Book would be different.

Thinking quickly, Severus came up with an easy lie, his voice was steady and calm. "I was on a job for the old fool in Germany, my Lord. I was outside the country when you called, but I assure you I left the minute you gave the signal."

Voldemort clasped his scaly hands behind his back and slowly circled the bowing wizard like a shark. "Ssso you say, and yet I find it curious that a student has also gone missing the same time as you...Potter's Mudblood friend…did you know thissss?"

Double shit. Someone, probably one of the more loyal students, had clued the Dark Lord in on Albus' secret, and now Severus had two options: play dumb and hope there wouldn't be any backlash, or give enough of the truth to divert attention from him.

Since he wasn't a man who depended on hope or an idiot, the only real option for him was the second one. Now if only I could remember Albus' cover story for Granger….

He should have paid more attention to the old man's floo call, nearly ten minutes after his dramatic exit, but he had still been so clouded by his anger that he had been more focused on mentally cataloging all the derogatory terms he wanted to use on the Headmaster, than the cover story. He had figured Albus would tell him again the next time they met.

Looking back now, he really wished he had paid more attention. All he could remember was something about Australia and a project…

Severus took a shot in the dark, hoping he was at least partially correct. "My Lord," he replied, "I believe McGonagall took the Mudblood to Australia at the start of break. I overheard several conversations in the teacher's lounge saying it was for some kind of project the girl wanted to do for her seventh year. I will, of course, verify this for you."

"A ssschool project?" Voldemort hissed, pacing in front of his throne impatiently. To himself, the unstable wizard whispered thoughtfully, "No…it issss too convenient…and with her polluted bloodlines, she might be the one…"

"My Lord? What is too convenient?" Bellatrix asked from her spot to the left of the wicked-looking throne. Her chaotic eyes reverently watched her master with rapt attention.

A flash of annoyance crossed the Dark Lord's pale features briefly, before he returned to his seat. "There is more to the Mudblood's absence…of that I am sure. Dumbledore"─he spat the name─"is lying about the girl." His answer was cryptic and revealed little, but Bellatrix seemed to understand what the Dark Lord was referring to, causing Severus to wonder if the deranged witch was more aware of Voldemort's plans than the rest of them.

Safe behind his Occlumency shields, Severus violently cursed. He was hoping to hide the truth behind the curly-haired witch's disappearance for a little longer. To the rest of the room, he was just as calm and stoic, and perhaps a touch confused, mimicking the facial expressions of his peers.

"My Lord, what reason could Dumbledore have for making up such a lie?" Someone, perhaps Dolohov, asked from behind his silver mask.

Red eyes snapped towards the Death Eater, followed shortly by a twisted sneer. "If the fool is hiding what I believe he is, then he has plenty reasssson."

The room descended into silence, as Voldemort ruminated over the headmaster's lie and the lost Gryffindor. When he seemed to come to a decision he returned his attention to Snape. "Severussss...you will watch Albus for any more news on the girl. I want the truth about the Mudblood...And if she should return from her 'project', you will report to me immediately."

"My Lord, if you need the Mudblood, why not take a more proactive route?" Rabastan Lestrange suggested, probably attempting to gain the Dark Lord's favor and raise his rank.

"Explain," Voldemort ordered.

Rabastan stepped forward. "Our hold in the Ministry grows by the day. Why not utilize it and have Ministry officials investigate the girl's sudden trip? If it looks like the Ministry is suddenly concerned about the girl, it will discredit Dumbledore's tale and provide us with the opportunity to secure the Mudblood when she returns." The Death Eater paused for affect. "If she is indeed the one you are looking for, then fine. If not, then we can use her for information while simultaneously hurting Potter by depriving him of his Mudblood."

Severus felt his stomach drop.

A cruel grin, gleefully curled the corners of the Dark Lord's mouth. "Excellent…" He nodded his assent. "You have my permission to make your plansss…"

Voldemort turned to the rest of his servants dismissively. "You may all go. Leave me!"

Dark Robes bustled, as the group of magical deviants complied with their Lord's demand. Severus melted into the crowd easily, disappearing from the Dark Lord's view, as he had evidently forgotten that he was upset with the Potions Master. Not that Severus was complaining. He was more than happy to avoid the sadistic bastard.

Slipping from the large room, he made his way down to the Lestrange's drawing room, towards the floo, so he didn't have to Apparate while his mind was still a buzzing hive of racing thoughts. Not only did he have to warn Albus that the school was about to be swarmed by aurors, but he also had to find a way to divert the Dark Lord's attention from Miss Granger, while also still FREEING Miss Granger from the Soul Book.

Easily done, he thought sarcastically.

So occupied with his mental task list, he nearly missed the snick of the door closing, and the clink of high heeled shoes on the room's marble floor. Occlumency shields were immediately reinforced.

"Severus, I'm glad that I caught you before you could sneak away."

Withholding a heavy sigh, Severus slipped his silver plated mask off, reminding himself that of all the Death Eaters and their spouses, Cissy was one of the only ones he could stand anymore. More importantly, considering the home they were in, he was lucky to have run into the saner of the Black sisters.

"Cissy, I assure you, I have never done anything as uncouth as, 'sneak', in my entire life."

The blonde witch chuckled. "You forget, Severus, I attended Hogwarts while you were still a first year, and was privy to all your early awkward attempts at subterfuge."

Black eyes rolled in exasperation. "Am I never to escape the foolishness of my youth?"

"You might have, if you had befriended Hufflepuffs instead of your Slytherin brethren, but somehow I cannot see you happily cavorting with a bunch of giggling badgers."

"Indeed." Severus felt his lips twitch in amusement. "Did you wish to use the floo?" he asked, subtlety prodding her into revealing why she had been looking for him.

Narcissa smirked knowingly, bowing her head in acquiescence. "No. Reminiscing aside, there was something I desired to discuss with you."

"Oh?"

"Yes." Cold blue eyes sharpened, watching Severus in anticipation. "I wanted to make sure that you would be present for Draco's initiation."

"Ah." Perhaps it was the strain of doing an Astral Projection through several dimensions, or the burden of the tasks he had yet to accomplish, but being reminded of how much he had failed Draco, suddenly made him bone tired. Some of his weariness must have bled through, because Narcissa seemed to pick up on his lack of enthusiasm.

"Ah?"

Giving himself a mental slap, Severus corrected himself. "I would not miss it for the world, Cissy."

Narcissa looked at him skeptically, as if she could sense the lie burning beneath the surface of his words. Then, she was suddenly smiling, looking relieved and entirely too pleased with his answer.

"I'm glad to hear it, Severus. I know I can depend on you to be there for Draco." Inclining her head, she turned to leave him. "I imagine I'll be seeing you soon, Severus. Have a good night."

"Of course," he murmured curiously, watching her leave and feeling as if he had somehow missed something important. He shrugged. He would just have to analyze this interaction at a later date. Right now, he had more immediate concerns, like getting back to Hogwarts and warning Albus.

A/N: okay so Severus has finally found Hermione...with some interesting results ;)

Btw, the glow around their bodies on the Astral Plane is a reflection of their auras, which I hope I got right. Deep red means: grounded, realistic, a survivor, active, and strong-willed. Orange-red means: confidence and creative power. And Orange-yellow means: a scientific mind, detail oriented, intelligent, creative and with perfectionist tendencies.

up next: Harry takes things a little too far...

Review!