A/N; Sorry it took a while, again huge THANX to all my fab reviewers and now, without further ado..
Severus opened his eyes and squinted at the intense beams of sun that seemed to engulf him.
Looking around he noticed he was in the hospital wing, that didn't make him at all happy. He looked to the side, what made him even more unhappy was that Harry potter and Ron Weasley were playing a game of wizards' chess on his side table.
"May I ask what you think you are doing here" he sneered making them both jump at the sudden noise from their sleeping professor.
"Making sure you don't get away" Ron told him in a clipped tone.
"Weasley, finally playing the big man" Severus mock smiled.
Ron went red and made a move forward but Harry held out an arm to stop him.
"I see your still Potters pet" Severus said winding him up even further. He was furious with the boy for stunning him, a mere insult was not nearly enough to make up for it. It did make him feel better though. "You should keep him on a leash", Severus said turning to Harry.
"It's not worth it Ron" Harry said holding the red-head down.
Harry then turned to Severus, "where is she?" he asked in a forced calm tone.
His question brought images of last night back to the front of Severus' mind. She had been taken, it was his fault. And in Lucius' care Severus was unsure if she would still be alive.
Without realising what he was doing he put his head in his hands.
Harry who had never seen Snape show any emotion before was surprised at his sudden move. Why was he so concerned about Hermione all of a sudden? It begged more questions, but now was not the time.
Composing himself Severus lifted his head and stared so venomously at the two boys. "Get out" he whispered in an unspeakable calm voice. Possibly more terrifying than if he were to yell, which he soon did once they made no move to leave. After shouting "get out" to them and watching them scamper away, Severus reached for a bottle of pain relief potion that madam Pomfrey had left out for him.
He didn't deserve to be pain free, he deserved to hurt. Compared to what Hermione was possibly going through, because of him, he deserved all the torment and pain he could muster. But that would do no good now. He had to get up, he had to find her.
He had just about managed to slip on get out of bed when Albus Dumbledore arrived with a tray of food. The old man sat the tray on the side table and pulled up a chair next to the bed to sit in.
Severus watched the old man carefully.
"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked.
"I feel that it is pointless me being stuck here" Severus snarled, "I am fit and well Albus, I should be out there looking for Miss Granger."
"And I am in no doubt that you will be, as soon as poppy deems you stable enough that is"
"I am stable enough" Severus argued back, "Albus Lucius Malfoy has her, do you know hoe serious that is?"
The headmaster's eyes darkened, "I am sure Draco would not let anything too serious happen".
"HA" Severus actually laughed out loud, "Mr Malfoy knew about the attack, he as much as told me so himself last night"
"As it would seem yes" Dumbledore sighed, "but he is not his father Severus, and still a fellow student of Hermione's, you would do well to remember that".
Severus scowled at the headmaster, what was he doing her making small talk when Hermione was out there being tortured and Merlin knows what.
"I will not tell either Harry or Ron what exactly happened last night, nor her whereabouts, they could make things extremely difficult for Draco should he return" Dumbledore finished.
"Draco Malfoy id to return to Hogwarts?" Severus asked astonished.
"Indeed he is" the headmaster gave a short smile, "and I expect you to keep an eye on him once he does".
"Oh, I will" Severus promised. He was quite certain that it was not potter and Weasley that needed to be kept from harming the boy. "May I ask what masters Potter and Weasley were doing her when I woke up?" he asked.
"Playing chess so it would seem" Dumbledore smiled at the chess set left on the table.
Severus raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I think they were curious as to what happened to their friend" the headmaster finished.
"And you are not going to tell them?" Severus queried.
"I will tell them all they need to know, with their thirsty for a good adventure I doubt telling them the whole story would be appropriate".
Severus nodded in agreement.
"Well I best bid you Farwell, I doubt that you will be stopping by for some tea before you leave" Albus smiled, "take care Severus, on don't be too hard on the girl, she cares about you a great deal". And with that he turned and exited the hospital wing.
Severus was left with a frown upon his face. What did he mean 'she cares for him'? He sure hoped to Merlin that she did not, thought Miss Granger had a tendency to care about people that were no good for her, Potter and Weasley being just two of those.
He gave another sigh and slipped his legs out from the bed.
"Oh no you don't" madam, Pomfrey came rushing over, "that was a nasty stunner you were hit with, I want you to stay in at least for a few more hours for observation" she demanded.
Severus eyes flashed angrily, "get off me you silly woman" he said jerking his arm away from where she was checking his blood pressure, "I am perfectly fine, no let me go".
"You are an insufferable know it all Severus Snape" she said before leaving him to himself in a huff.
The fact that she had called him an 'insufferable know-it-all' amused him, maybe he and Miss Granger were not that different after all.
IIIII
Hermione had no idea what was going on, she was just about to go back to the common room when Lucius Malfoy had appeared out of nowhere.
She screamed.
"Miss Granger please be quiet" he said.
"What the hell are you doing" she frowned reaching down for her wand.
"There is no need for that" he nodded towards where her right hand was twitching
Hermione narrowed he eyes and started at him, "what are you doing here?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"Well as it seems, I'm here to collect you" he smiled sinisterly.
Hermione thought for a moment, "to take me to Vol- sorry, you know who?"
"Why yes, may I ask how you came to that conclusion?" he looked surprised.
"Professor Snape, he was going to take me tomorrow night, I suppose he has asked you to collect me then?" she said truthfully.
Lucius couldn't believe his luck, he had come to take the girl yes, but only to drag her off to torment and possibly death. Yet now she was standing here declaring that she would willingly go, how peculiar. What has Severus said to her? Was she willing to be tortured? He couldn't imagine that. Has Severus possibly convinced her to join the Dark Lord, to turn on Harry Potter? If so Lucius had greatly underestimated his old friend.
"Well Miss Granger" he smiled smugly, "if you would like to follow me". And Lucius smile widened even more when she happily put her wand away and trotted on after him.
A/N; Not the longest chapter, the next one's better...Leave a Review and I'll update quicker ;)