Hermione sat at a pale marble table with Sayuri in the chair next to hers, her friend's arms tightly crossed and still as a statue. Dark walnut shelves filled with books towered over them. A few of the books inhabiting the higher shelves dislodged themselves here and there, fluttering into the air like ungainly birds and reordering their placement.

This place would have been a dream come true if it hadn't belonged to such an insufferable little snot.

A pointy faced blond boy about her and Sayuri's age was slouched in a white velvet wingback chair near the table. The boy glared between her and Mr. Malfoy, who was pacing in front of the fireplace on the far end of the expansive library.

Hermione got the distinct impression this boy, Draco, did not like her. She wondered if she had disliked him back when she knew who he was.

"What are you two doing here?" Draco whispered fiercely. "You've interrupted my quidditch training! What did you do anyway? My father never locks down the manor like this."

"Someone chased us-" Hermione began, but Sayuri gave her hand a tight warning squeeze and shook her head. Hermione busied herself gazing at the loaded shelves of books instead. Titles beckoned at her from the shelves. The Compendium of Giant Slaying, Illustrated Codex of Werewolf Attacks: 1421-1796, Gambling With Goblins -

"Don't even think about touching the books," Draco said, leaning back in his chair and stretching out a bit. A nasty grin spread across his face. "They're charmed so that if someone picks one up without permission, their eyes will fall right out."

Now she knew she hadn't liked him before.

"Not funny Draco," Sayuri growled.

"Of course it's not funny! I'm just giving Granger a friendly warning. I mean, just look at you. Don't want Granger ending up like- OW!" He rubbed a spot on his arm where Sayuri had just flung a pewter coaster with surprising accuracy.

The coaster sprouted several spindly legs and scurried back up a table leg like some large, gleaming spider.

"This isn't a game," Sayuri said in a low, cold voice. "Stop fucking around."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably and glanced up to see if Mr. Malfoy had heard. This was the first time she'd heard Sayuri swear like that.

The doors to the library swung open just then. The tiny person in the pillowcase returned, followed closely by a tall, thin man in black robes. Lank black hair framed the piercing black eyes set in his haggard face. He stopped to speak with Mr. Malfoy in a hushed voice, then both men approached. If she thought Mr. Malfoy was grim, he had nothing on the new wizard.

"Hullo Professor Snape," Draco called cheerfully, as if this was his most favorite person in the world. Sayuri waved timidly. Snape nodded at them in acknowledgment.

Snape? Oh no. Why oh why would I set someone like that on fire?

She decided that pre-memory loss Hermione was either much braver, or much more reckless than her current self

Professor Snape came to a stop in front of the table where she and Sayuri sat and stared down his hooked nose at them, hands clasped behind his back. The effect was something like a very irritated hawk, which made Hermione feel like a very small rabbit.

"Miss Granger," he said in a low, silky voice. "I don't suppose the fact that you are quivering in fear means you have retained some memory of me?"

She looked down at the pale grey striations running through the marble. "No. Sorry sir."

"A shame," he said. "Sometimes exposure to what has been forgotten has been known to trigger a lost memory. But I am sure the mediwizards have explained that to you."

Mr. Malfoy frowned down at the tiny man. The man tugged anxiously at his enormous pointy ears, reminiscent of those shivering little dogs old women carried around in their purses. Only the dogs were typically better dressed than that.

"Go to your mistress and inform her that the manor is locked down. Then make yourself available to escort her back when she is ready to return home," Mr. Malfoy instructed.

"Yes Master," the man said, bowing in a cringing way as if he expected to be kicked at or struck. Then his little body whirled and vanished in a blink.

Who was that? Why did he call Mr. Malfoy 'master'?" She swallowed the unspoken questions and forced herself to look back up at the two older wizards.

"Draco, I must ask you to leave the library for a few minutes while Professor Snape and I discuss a - delicate situation with our guests."

Draco crossed his arms and slouched deeper into the chair. "I'm going back outside to continue flying then. I'm not going to lose to Potter."

The elder Malfoy made an impatient sound in his throat and grimaced. "You will have plenty of opportunities for quidditch later. Right now, you will stay indoors and entertain yourself while we handle this."

Draco scowled between the two adults, then back at Hermione. "I don't know why you're all keeping this secret from me when Granger knows. Sayuri, if you're really my friend then I deserve to be here too."

Sayuri's wild black hair rustled as she angled her head toward the obnoxious boy. "I told you once Draco, it's not right to burden friends with dangerous secrets. So if you're really my friend then the answer is no."

His cheeks flushed pink and he jumped up from the chair. "Fine! Have it your way. I'll just entertain myself. Alone." Everyone watched in silence as he stomped theatrically to the doors and slammed them closed behind him.

"Please excuse Draco's behavior," Mr. Malfoy apologized. "He is unaccustomed to being ordered around in his own home."

Hermione nodded mutely, because she couldn't think of anything polite to say.

"Miss Granger," Professor Snape began, his black gaze piercing through her. "Describe the man that pursued you and Miss Uchiha."

Blinking rapidly, Hermione took a deep breath. "He was very young. Maybe young enough to be a student. With long black hair. And he was very pretty."

The professor made a look of disgust at her assessment, and she hurried to clarify, "What I mean is, he was very, unusually pretty. Madam Puddifoot hired him one week ago. Only, he was so good looking several couples that had gone on dates at her tea shop broke up because one or the other half was too busy ogling him. She was trying to fire him today because of it, but he couldn't understand her since he only speaks Japanese. So Madam Puddifoot asked Sayuri to do it for her. I think he must have said something off to Sayuri, because then she got very upset and we came straight here to get away from him."

The words all tumbled out in a rush, and she was afraid that she'd spoken too fast or said too much, but neither adult reprimanded her or scolded her to slow down.

"He knew who I was," Sayuri clarified in a hard voice. "He said he knew my cousin, and that he'd been searching for me. And he followed us through The Three Broomsticks."

Something indefinable in Professor's Snape's expression shifted. "Miss Granger, could you identify him from a photograph?"

"He did have a very striking face," Hermione hedged.

Reaching inside his cloak, Professor Snape withdrew a tattered brown book. Laid it on the table in front of her and opened it to the first page. "His is unlikely to be any of the entries marked with a red X."

Methodically, Hermione began turning pages. Scrutinizing, staring at each one for an excruciatingly long time. Many of the people pictured were perfectly normal looking. But many also had unusual hair and eye colors, facial tattoos, or strange features like mouths full of shark-like teeth. Halfway through the book she paused on a page marked with a large red X. Something about this one felt familiar. Something about the upturned corners of his eyes and messy black hair.

"What did I say about the crossed out entries, Miss Granger?"

"I know," she said, brows furrowed. "But I'm certain I've seen this man before. Not today of course. But, I think I might know him."

Did I know him?

Sayuri perked up then. Frowning, she tilted her head to one side. "Who is it?"

"I can't read Japanese," Hermione replied. "But I - I think I remember something-"

Professor Snape made an impatient sound in his throat. "I assure you that's quite impossible, as that man has been dead for years. The healers on your case should be notified that your memory issues seem to extend to new memory formation as well."

Hermione shook her head. That couldn't be. She remembered - a fistful of warm shirt. Screams. "No! I do remember. He - carried me. And there was a smell," she rubbed at her nose. "A really terrible smell."

"She does remember. That smell was troll shit," Sayuri spat, standing abruptly. "Why do you have a book with my dead father in it? Is that a bingo book?"

A sinking feeling washed over Hermione. Dead? Did - Sayuri's father die saving me? From a troll or something?

Ron had been there. He had described the troll over the summer during his visits, but nothing about anyone dying. She needed to ask him for more details next time she saw him.

If any of this was news to Professor Snape, he didn't show it. He leaned forward, scowling down at the page. "Miss Granger, proceed with your review."

"Hey, I asked a question," Sayuri said, a little louder this time as her hands gripped the edge of the table. "Where did you get this book?"

Mr. Malfoy shifted uncomfortably and glanced toward the fireplace.

Hermione flipped the page, and then went to the next page, and the next. Near the back of the book were pages that had been spliced in. The paper on these was more recent. Less faded and stained.

There!

"This looks just like him," Hermione said confidently. "Only a bit younger."

Professor Snape and Mr. Malfoy both crowded in to peer at the photo. A very pretty young boy stared back at them, unmoving in his photograph.

"Are you certain that's a boy?" Mr. Malfoy asked.

"Well, Madam Puddifoot called him a him. And this looks like just him. I suppose this could be a relative though."

"What does it say?" Sayuri demanded. "Who is it?"

Professor Snape drew out his wand and waved it over the book. The ink glistened as the characters embossed themselves on the page. "You tell us."

Hermione nudged it in front of her friend, who snatched the book and began running her fingers lightly over the symbols. Right to left, not left to right.

"He's a mercenary assassin," Sayuri finally said. "His name is Haku Yuki. This says he's the highest ranked follower of a terrorist that tried to stage a coup. Someone called The Demon of the Hidden Mist." She frowned as her fingertips ghosted across the rest of the page. "He's an ice user. There's not much other information here."

The line at the corner of Professor Snape's mouth deepened. "Miss Granger, I'll need to ask you to step outside the room for a moment."

Hermione reached for Sayuri's hand. Caught her friend's clammy fingers and squeezed them. "Are you going to be all right? I'll stay if you want."

"You should go. I got you in too much trouble already." Sayuri pulled her hand away and crossed her arms over her stomach. "He saw your face and everything."

Hermione nodded, a little stung. Maybe this was how Draco had felt when he threw his tantrum. "I'll wait right outside the library until you're finished."

The walk to the doors felt like it went on for miles. The minutes stretching out to years as the others waited in silence for her to be out of earshot. She fought the urge to look over her shoulder at them as worry gnawed at the pit of her stomach.

Mercenary assassin. That man was an assassin. I should have never pushed Sayuri into speaking to him. She went out the door and let it fall closed behind her. Surrounded by the smell of wood polish and endless yards of woven parquet runner carpet laid out through the maze of hallways snaking through the manor, she sank into a crouch next to the wall and swallowed the tears that stung at her eyes. It's my fault she was found. What if he hurts her?

Or worse. Assassins generally aim to do worse than hurt after all.

Several minutes passed as she rubbed at her eyes, willing them to not get all red and puffy.

The door just across the hall from the library slowly creaked open. Draco slipped out and quietly closed it behind him. His eyes narrowed when he noticed Hermione sitting there on the floor by herself.

"What are you doing out here?" he snapped.

"The adults sent me out," Hermione mumbled into her arm.

"Tell me what's going on then," he demanded, shoving a small plain book into the front of his robe. "It's ridiculous that you were included, yet I get cast out of a room in my own home."

"Everyone would just get cross at me if I did," she said, misery taking hold again. "I'm not supposed to know anything."

Draco scowled. "Someone's after her aren't they? She's being threatened again, right?"

Hermione blinked up at him in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Thanks for confirming it," he said loftily. "I could tell you know. This past year, something was bothering her. Someone kept sending her letters and she'd get upset and cry each time. But she kept the contents secret no matter how hard I tried to help. It must be someone really dangerous if father locked down the manor because of it."

Did - I know about this? Hermione wondered. Or did she keep it a secret from me too?

"I don't expect you knew anything though," Draco continued, as if he'd just read her mind. "You're in Gryffindor after all, so you hardly spent any time with her. She just needed a tutor and you were convenient."

"That doesn't matter much now," Hermione replied. Sayuri wouldn't have gone so far out of her way to rekindle their friendship if Hermione had just been an occasional tutor. "We've had loads of fun this summer." Her voice hitched. "Until today anyway."

A dark look flashed across Draco's face. "Whatever. You're probably just playing with unicorns and other dumb girl things. I'm training for quidditch." He smiled then, and to Hermione it was perfectly unpleasant. The kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I don't supposed you've heard from Potter this summer? Do you even remember who Potter is? Those muggles he lives with probably can't let him do anything fun. I'll bet that means he can't fly at all over the holiday. It's perfect. He'll be completely out of practice once school starts again. Slytherin will have the quidditch cup back, you'll see."

Hermione knew about Harry. Ron and Sayuri had told her. But, she hadn't gotten any letters from him over the summer. Maybe he wasn't the writing type? Or maybe they just weren't all that close. It's not like she could remember, yet she still felt compelled to say something, anything in Harry's defense.

"I can't really speak for him," Hermione said. "I suppose you'll just have to wait for school to start and see for yourself."

Severus wished he could drink the pain potion in his pocket without broadcasting to everyone in the room that he was suffering. The back of his skull throbbed and promised to blossom into a fantastic headache if he didn't do something about it soon though.

The Malfoy house elf had finally side-along apparated home with an irate Narcissa, and the entire situation had to be explained to her all over again since Lucius had apparently kept the whole bit about wizarding assassins secret from her. All while Miss Granger was ostensibly waiting in the hall just outside the doors.

"Let me be sure I understand," Narcissa stalked in a slow circle around Lucius like a wrathful lioness, her flowing summer traveling cloak still draped around her shoulders. "You wished to learn more about Miss Uchiha's family. So you made an inquiry with a shady wizard. This wizard then sold Miss Uchiha's name to other shady wizards, and now a trained assassin has come looking for her. Also, this trained assassin may be targeting our home, because that is where the original inquiry came from."

"Er, yes darling. That sums it up." Lucius wouldn't make eye contact with her. Severus remained a safe distance back, secretly relieved he'd stayed single. The wrath of a fully grown witch was terrifying. Narcissa was generally reasonable, but then she occasionally got a look in her eye that reminded him strongly of her much more sadistic sister.

Bellatrix.

Perhaps sadism was just a trait that ran in the Black family, with some expressing it more strongly than others. Some like Sirius, the murdering filth who'd sold the Potters to The Dark Lord. If only Dumbledore had taken appropriate action when Black first exposed his homicidal inclinations. Back when the bastard tried to feed Severus to a werewolf.

Miss Uchiha in contrast, sat hunched at the marble library table through Narcissa's interrogation. All of the girl's earlier fury seemed to burn out, leaving her hollow and frightened.

"Now that the situation has been clarified," Severus interrupted, "what are we going to do?" Lucius flashed him a grateful smile as Narcissa's predatory gaze was drawn away.

"We keep the manor in lockdown until he leaves," Lucius said. "Obviously, it's the best way to protect my family."

"And what of Miss Uchiha and Miss Granger?" Severus shrugged and held his hands out palm up. "Are you planning to offer them your hospitality indefinitely?"

"Hermione should go home to her parents," Miss Uchiha interrupted. "He saw her face, but he shouldn't be able to find her at her home. They live in the middle of a muggle city with nothing to lead him there. As long as I stay away from her she should be safe."

"That may be for the best," Narcissa said, softening. "She belongs with her own kind."

"Severus, speaking of the anonymity of muggle cities," Lucius began, "perhaps, Miss Uchiha would be safest staying with you."

A thick silence fell over the library.

Absolutely no not ever-

He didn't have to object out loud however. The young witch's fury returned. She pushed herself away from the table and stood.

"No! I shouldn't be around anybody. Someone is going to get killed that way."

"What are you going to do then?" Lucius scoffed. "Live in the forest?

"I don't know! It's better than everyone else getting killed!"

"Don't be foolish," Narcissa said. "Nobody is going to allow you to camp alone in the forest with an assassin searching for you."

"Maybe I should leave for another country then," she shot back. "They wouldn't expect that."

"Or," Severus interjected, "I locate the assassin first. I know what he looks like and his last known location. He has no idea who I am, or that I am affiliated with you in any way. He has no idea you are here. The Malfoys have secured their home. You and they are safe for the time being."

"That's a terrible idea!" she blurted. "You'll be killed in half a second!"

The tiny spot of warmth that took hold inside him warred with irritation at her lack of confidence in his abilities.

"Now, Sayuri dear," Narcissa hurried over and soothed the girl's flailing arm. "Don't worry about Professor Snape. He's a clever wizard and won't do anything stupid." She glared pointedly over her shoulder at Lucius as she spoke. "Besides, you and Draco will have lots of fun here. He gets lonely every time Vincent and Gregory have to go home."

While Narcissa ministered to Miss Uchiha with a motherly tenderness to rival what she normally bestowed upon Draco, Severus put a hand in his pocket. Just to double check that the vials he'd prepared were still there. Ever since his horribly one-sided encounter with Itachi, he'd been preparing. Trying to at any rate. As much as one could prepare for a confrontation with a cold blooded killer who moved in the blink of an eye.

His chest constricted painfully, and he fought to keep his breathing even. To put aside the intrusive memory. The crushing weight on his throat. His lungs burning for lack of breath.

Those red eyes gleaming in the dark.

Bit by bit, the curtains of occlumency slid into place. He wrapped them tight around his stray thoughts and memories, binding his emotions until nothing was left but a comfortable numbness. The others seemed not to notice his momentary distress.

"Miss Uchiha, how did Miss Granger reach Hogsmeade today?" he asked.

"My guardian brought her," she said after a pause.

"Then I assume he will be able to return her."

"He will," she said. "Sir, there's two very important things you should know before you search for that person."

Severus bit back a sarcastic retort. At this point even the most mundane detail could change the outcome. "Those are?"

"Wizarding children from my homeland learn very different spells, at a much younger age. Two spells especially," she held up two fingers, "might become a big problem. One is the doppelganger spell. It allows the caster to create one or more copies of themselves."

He stared at her. It what.

"The other is the transformation spell. Um, people can turn into - anything?"

"Why did you say that like a question?" he said flatly.

"It's hard to explain. We only just learned about it when I - left. You use magic to change your body - into something else."

"I refuse to believe there is a land filled with incontinent little children who are able to use advanced wandless transfiguration techniques."

"It's not transfiguration!" she said emphatically. "Transfiguration is hard, and more permanent. These spells are different. After you cast it, you have to keep concentrating to maintain the transformation. That makes it almost impossible to cast another spell at the same time. And if something messes up your concentration it'll mess up the spell. That's their weakness. One good punch and a transformation vanishes. Clones don't need you to concentrate after casting, but they'll disappear too if they take a little bit of damage."

She wiped her face. "Just, don't trust completely in appearances."

"Noted," Severus said, not liking the shrewd look Lucius and Narcissa shared at these new revelations. "Unless you have any additional pearls of knowledge to share, I'll be taking Miss Granger now."

"Don't let him kill either of you," she said quietly. "That's all."

They quickly readied Miss Granger after that. Lucius conjured a small hooded cloak, and Narcissa supplied a cast off scarf to wrap around the lower half of Granger's face. As soon as they were ready, the house elf brought them to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. The setting sun cast long shadows over the cobbled streets. Wand in hand, Severus loped ahead of Miss Granger. Mercifully, the girl hadn't said anything since they'd left.

Together they entered The Hog's Head. Patrons dotted the room. Nobody bothered to look at them. Except the barkeep that is. The old man froze when he saw Snape, his expression growing thunderous when he noticed only one little girl tagging along.

Before the barkeep could start a fight and draw entirely too much attention, Severus crossed the room. He leaned against the bar while giving his wand a flick, casting his privacy spell.

"They've found her," he said. "As assassin from her homeland is here in Hogsmeade. He pursued Miss Uchiha and Miss Granger to The Three Broomsticks, where the girls took the floo to Malfoy Manor. She is safely sheltered at the manor. Lucius has sealed every entrance to his home and put an anti-apparition jinx in place."

As he spoke, the glint in Aberforth's eyes grew more crazed, and he found himself wondering if the barkeep was also a member of the illustrious Black family.

"What about Hermione there?" The old man spat. "That poncy toff didn't think she was worth protecting too?"

"Miss Granger must be returned to her parents," Severus said, pointedly ignoring the insult directed at Lucius. "Right now the most dangerous place for her is in close proximity to Miss Uchiha."

The old man wiped his hands with a filthy dish towel and turned toward the stairs. "Both of you follow me."

Severus ushered Miss Granger ahead. She hurried up the stone steps, following Aberforth so closely she bumped into him twice.

"All the rooms are taken, so we'll have to talk in here."

The three of them entered a room that was laid out very much like any other room in the inn. Only this one was far more lived-in. A wild tangle of ivy grew from a pot in the corner, edging its way up onto the window sill. A single bed was pressed against the far wall, the bedding only haphazardly made. The opposite wall was home to a small desk. Squares of parchment were strewn all over the floor, each covered with slightly different iterations of the same strange design in various stages of completion.

He eyed the ivy warily, in case Miss Uchiha still kept any bowtruckles close at hand.

As soon as the heavy door closed, Granger tugged the scarf down. "He's here! I saw him downstairs on the way in! I don't think he recognized me though."

"Where?"

"Which one?"

Both men looked at each other, then back at Granger.

"He was in the far back corner with two middle aged wizards. And he was holding a white hare with one arm."

Aberforth grimaced. "I'm going to apparate you straight home to your parents, you understand?"

Her eyes grew wide. "Yes. Um, should I keep this a secret? I shouldn't tell them about it, right?"

"You go right ahead and tell them whatever you want," Aberforth said firmly. "I'm not going to tell you to keep secrets from your own parents. Now let's go."

He reached a gnarled hand out, grasped her shoulder firmly, and they both disapparated with a resounding crack. Apparently he wasn't staying long enough to chat, because moments later Aberforth apparated back. Alone.

"Now, how should we murder that bastard?" Aberforth muttered. "An entrail-expelling curse should do it. Then I'll just transfigure what's left into turnips and feed them to Matey."

Severus grimaced and shook his head. "We need him to capture him alive. Initially at least."

"He'd be put to better use as fertilizer. Sayuri's ivy here could use a little oomph."

Quirrel's desiccated corpse skewered by the blood-drinking tree invaded Severus' thoughts, and he shivered. "We cannot kill him. This assassin may be working with others. We must interrogate him and learn how many there are and who he is working for."

Aberforth folded his arms across his chest, squashing his disheveled beard. "Fine," he growled. "I can hit him with a stunner while he's distracted. Loughty and Fayad have been trying to coax him up to their room all evening, buying him drinks and the like but he hasn't touched any of it. Hasn't said a word either."

The vials in his pocket weighed heavily. Severus drew the longest one out first. "I had an encounter with Miss Uchiha's familicidal cousin two months ago. You cannot underestimate how inhumanly fast and strong they are. Since then I have prepared this." He held the vial out in his palm. "A tasteless, odorless sleeping draught powerful enough to knock out a troll with one drop. He won't wake until given the antidote."

"Draught of Living Death, eh? I suppose that would do it, if he'd ever eat anything."

Severus hesitated, remembering Miss Uchiha's warnings before he'd left. "She informed me of two spells that are commonly used in her homeland. One to create a doppelganger, and one to alter the caster's form and appearance. If Miss Granger recognized him however, it is unlikely he is using them at the moment."

"Form and appearance," Aberforth muttered, his heavy brows drawing close. "Form and appearance. That might explain -" he trailed off into incoherent muttering again.

Severus wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him.

"Give me that sleeping draught," Aberforth said. "I understand what's going on now. I'll get it into him."

Reluctantly, Severus placed the vial into the barkeep's outstretched hand.

Notes:

So I don't know why this took so long to iron out. Life has been really stressful and I'm tired. I hope everyone has an awesome day.