A/N; So sorry about they delay in updating, my partner has just been diagnosed with MS so have been sorting stuff out as you can imagine, anyhoo everything is all fine now so, on with the story...

"Are you sure Ron?" Harry asked for what felt like the hundredth time that hour

"Yes" Ron hissed as he threw Harry's trunk open, "where is it?"

"Maybe Remus is right. Maybe Hermione's ok" Harry said trying to calm his best friend.

"She's with Snape Harry, how can she be ok? Have you forgotten what he's like?"

Harry sighed, "no, I know Snape is a Death Eater bastard just like the rest of them, but do you really think he would pull something like this under Dumbledore's nose?" he reasoned

"What's wrong with you Harry? You know what Dumbledore's like" he panted, "months ago you would have jumped at the chance to finally get at Snape, are you just going to leave Hermione with him? Merlin knows where he has taken her, what he has done to her" he spat.

Harry was quiet for a moment, he did hate Snape, and he in no way trusted him with Hermione, but what Ron was talking about could get them killed, "we cant just show up wands blazing you know" he said after some while, "we need a plan".

"So you're on board then?" Ron asked finally locating Harry's invisibility cloak.

"I am" Harry said firmly, "now see if you can find the map in there, maybe we can break into Snape's chambers whilst he's gone, find an address or something, anything that could give us an idea where he might be".

"Good idea mate" Ron said diving back into the chest, "and we can go ruff up Malfoy, I'm sure he'll know something"

"Yeah" Harry agreed nodding. "Yeah I'll go do that". And without another word he turned on his heel and left Ron to finish throwing about his belongings.

IIIII

Although she desperately wanted to, Hermione refrained from once again throwing Snape's belongings about the room. Instead she settled on sitting square in the middle of his bed in a huff. She had located one of the books she had thrown before and was quietly reading all about how to castrate a man with a simple incantation. If only she had her wand with her, she sighed

Snape meanwhile was down stairs, scowling into his mug of coffee. Letting out another exaggerated sigh he ran his hands over his face and threw his hair.

He still hadn't decided what he could do with Hermione. The only option that didn't involve death was to have her take the Dark Mark, and he didn't really consider that an option. He wouldn't willingly let her bear the mark that had ruined his life; she was worth so much more than that.

Sighing once more he decided it best to swallow his pride and speak with her, he reluctantly admitted that she did indeed have some brains and perhaps together they could come up with an agreeable solution.

As he reached the first floor he listened quietly at the door before entering. Nothing, she was making no sound at all. Suddenly a chill swept down his spine, what if she had managed to escape, break through the wards? What if she had come into the hands of a Death Eater or worse, the Malfoy's?

With more force than she had ever witnessed before, Hermione watched as Severus burst through the bedroom door.

"There is no need to be so overly dramatic" she said looking up casually from the book, "the poor door hasn't done anything to you" she remarked before turning back to her reading.

Severus stood in the doorway panting; his hair lay across his face and he was breathing through his teeth.

It took a moment to register that Hermione was actually alive and well and sitting on his bed reading quite innocently, he was almost annoyed at the fact, almost embarrassed.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he straightened himself up.

Hermione looked up at him and raised her eyebrows as if to say, 'isn't it obvious?'

Severus sneered down at the book, he was about to comment about how she should not be snooping around his private belongings when he saw what exactly she was reading. Subconsciously he took a step back.

"Something wrong?" she asked watching his peculiar behaviour with some amusement.

"We need to talk" he said finally.

"Ok" Hermione said and patted the bed besides her indicating for him to sit.

Severus looked at her like she had just grown another head.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and watched as he pulled up one of the desk chairs from the corner of the room to sit opposite her.

"You know what position I am in?" he asked after some thought, not making eye contact with her.

"What do you mean?" she asked folding the book and placing it to one side.

"I don not like this situation more than you do, the fact is that you willingly let yourself be taken. If I had brought you here, then at least I could have returned you to Hogwarts saying that you had escaped."

"I'm sorry-" she began but Severus waved his hand and cut her off.

"It doesn't matter, not anymore, if you stay here you will be expected to take the mark" he sighed. His head was bowed, he still couldn't bring himself to look at her, "if you escape, you will be hunted down and killed as you have seen the inside circle now, and if I let you go, both you and I will be-"

"Murdered" she finished for him, her eyes not hiding the fear that she felt.

Severus looked up at her, she looked so concerned. Part of him vainly hoped that maybe some of that concern would be for him. It was selfish he knew, but he couldn't help hoping that she might feel something, however small for him.

He nodded in response to her.

"So my only option is to-"

"That isn't even an option" he quickly cut her off, he didn't even want her considering it.

"Well what do you expect me to do, everything else either ends with you or I getting Avada Kedavra'd" she said worriedly.

"Maybe there is a way" he said, "You could go into hiding, where no one knows where you are, have a secret keeper, you could be safe".

"And what about you?" she frowned

"I will face whatever I must" he said looking away.

"You mean die?" she said angrily

"If that is to be my fate"

"Are you completely mad?" she screamed, "You think I would let that happen?"

"It is not you're choice" he said rather firmly.

"It damn well is" she said standing, "I am not going into hiding whilst you go out there to face certain death, why can't you come with me?"

"I am not one to hide away from a problem Miss Granger" he said standing also.

"To hell with that" she raised her arms, "and stop calling me Miss Granger, I rather think we are past that now don't you?"

"I am still your professor, you will do as I say and I will address you as I wish" he yelled his anger rising.

"SEVERUS SNAPE!" She bellowed, "Do NOT presume to be superior to me here, not when I have risked my life trying to help you. Do NOT think that I would just let you die, just to ensure that I don't get a nasty tattoo on my arm. Do NOT assume to know me or what I am feeling, and don't you dare make my decisions for me" she raged

Severus raised an eyebrow, "is that what you think it is" he said moving towards her, whispering in a low growl that sent shivers down her spine. "A nasty tattoo? My, my Miss Granger, I had thought you smarter than that" he sneered.

Hermione took a step back away from him, he took a step closer.

"Tell me do all nasty tattoo's burns like red hot fire when they are being carved into your delicate skin? Do they slice open you're veins so the dark poison can seep through your body making you attached to the administrator for the rest of your life? Do they feel like your arm is being torn open every time you are summoned, tell me Miss Granger, I wish to know"

Hermione's back was now completely against the wall and Severus was still advancing on her. He could feel her trembling beneath him.

"It is not an option" he spat, then turned around to pace back and forth across the room.

Hermione looked at him frowning, "I won't let you die" she said quietly.

Severus turned around and glared at her, "why?" he growled.

"Because I can't, I won't" she said holding her ground

"Why Miss Granger, why?" he said eyes blazing and advancing on her once again.

"Because I cant" she screamed

"WHY?"

"BECAUSE I CARE!" She shouted. Tears in her eyes threatening to spill over her lashes.

"You care?" he mocked her, "all you care about is playing the Gryffindor hero!"

"No" she said through clenched teeth, "I care, I care about you"

Severus regarded her for a moment, "you liar!" he accused her. She couldn't care about him, it was preposterous, she was patronising him.

"how can you do this to me?" she asked suddenly losing all her energy and slumping down onto the bed, "how can you protect me one minute, want what's best for me, kiss me and then dismiss me as if noting has happened?

I don't know what you are thinking, I don't know what you feel, but how do you expect me to understand when you do all these things to me one minute then are so cruel to me the next?

"How can you accuse me of not caring, when all I have done is prove to you that I do?" She whispered, looking down at her feet.

Severus looked at her, lost for words.

With extreme delicacy he slowly moved to sit beside her on the bed. He gently reached out and tucked a stray piece of har behind her ear, and felt his heart melt as silently tears began to roll down her cheeks.

He pulled her towards him and held her and she cried helplessly in his arms.

A/N; Awwww sweet, sweet Severus :)

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