Chapter Seven: Losing Ground.

Harry heard someone bellowing from above and as quietly as he could ascended the stair way directly in front of him. Keeping to the shadows, Harry saw Snape and Malfoy. Snape looked livid. When a floor bored creaked beneath his feet Harry froze. Hoping that he hadn't been heard. He had no such luck. Draco looked around Snape and over to where Harry hid. Snape had also heard and turned to look in the same direction. Harry began to make his retreat when the torches came to life. Having been revealed Harry turned to the two men before him. He knew that he could run now and they would never be able to catch him. There was a good fifteen-meter's between them. But Harry wasn't going to run this time. Even though he knew he should have done so.

The three men stood and watched eachother for a long while. Not a single one dared to move.

Severus eyed the boy before him with enough anger and hatred you could feel it rippling through the air between them.

" What are you doing in my house Potter?" he asked, his voice cold enough to freeze an ocean.

All Harry could do was look at the man as if he were speaking another language all together. Finally he asked a question of his own, " Where is Hermione?"

For several moments nothing was said. Draco looked from one to the other, knowing that he couldn't say a word with out giving his life… not that he would tell Potter anything any way.

Suddenly Severus began to laugh maniacally. He sounded and looked like a mad man. " And what would make you think I would allow that pathetic little mudblood in my house? Do please tell me what in the world would make you think she would come to me?"

" She didn't come to you… you took her and I want her back so hand her over!" he answered and began to move toward Snape. He knew it would possibly come back to bite him but he didn't know what else to do. If he tried to run Snape would stop him and standing still was getting him no where. Moving forward was the only option available.

" I didn't take her. I would never touch that little piece of trash. Now get out of my house before I throw you out." And now Severus advanced and briskly at that.

Harry hesitated but only briefly. He knew that no one would ever thank him for purposely getting himself killed and if he were dead he would never be able to save Hermione. So he cut him loses and ran. As he looked back at the front door he saw Snape watching him go… and then he apperated back to headquarters.

HG

Hermione felt the walls around her shift and shake. She could hear footsteps again but didn't dare cry out. She had no way of telling how much time had gone by and wasn't going to take the chance of being heard. When the trap door opened above her she looked up to find Snape and Malfoy looking down on her.

Although the relief didn't play on Snape's face it was in his eyes. Draco however made no effort to hide it; he let out a large sigh and put out a hand to help her up.

" Up you get," he said, " I am never going to stick you in there again. Snape here wanted to skin me alive when he came back and I told him you were missing." He was smiling at her and she suddenly wished she had the old Malfoy back.

" So I'll never have to go in there again?" she asked slowly.

" Yep!" he exclaimed.

Severus looked over at him briefly but kept his thoughts to himself. " Hopefully you will never have to hide her again." after handing Hermione her wand he turned toward the study and left the two teenagers standing in the hall.

" Potter showed up." Draco said plainly.

" And?" Hermione asked.

" We didn't tell him anything. He asked… no he demanded that we give you up. Then he ran." Draco laughed then, bring the picture to the front of his mind.

" Hmm… that's alright I don't want him to find me any way. If I'm found it only puts people in danger." She answered absentmindedly. Without giving time for him to say anything else she turned and headed toward her own room and to some much needed sleep.

DM

Draco watched her go. When he knew she could no longer hear him then said, " Even being lost you put everyone in danger…" shaking his head he turned and decided he wanted to speak to his godfather.

HP

Harry sat with his back against the door and contemplated what he had just seen and heard. He just couldn't figure it out. Snape could have captured him and taken him to Voldemort… but he had let him go. Malfoy had just stood there with out saying a word, almost as if he had been afraid that he would say something wrong.

Everything had just been so wrong. The entire of it just didn't make sense. They were death eaters loyal to a megalomaniac, why hadn't they done something to him? Why did they just let him leave?

" Why doesn't anything make sense any more?" he asked himself, net expecting to get an answer.

" Because life isn't supposed to make sense Harry… That's why its life." Tonks had answered him. " So are you going to tell me why you left the house? I promise I wont tell the other's."

" I just needed to clear my head so I took a walk…it didn't help." He said rather pathetically. " It only made everything more complicated." He finished while hitting the back of his head on the door.

She hummed and then looked at him thoughtfully but said nothing for several moments. " So are you going to tell me where you went or ' You went for a walk' all I'm going to get out of you?" she asked.

" I went looking for Hermione." He said finally, hanging his head as if he were in trouble.

" And what did you find?"

" Trouble. I didn't find what I was looking for but I found trouble and more trouble. I seem to find that more often than not. Or it seems to find me…I've not figured out which it is yet. But trouble just let me leave didn't even try to stop me… and that is what has me head aching. It just doesn't make sense."

" Harry… I really wish I had something inspiring to say but I don't. Life happens and it's always complicated. Every generation has tried to find a way to simplify things but they often make everything more complicated than before. You just have to take it as it comes to you, but don't go chasing life down… you'll only get lost and broken." Tonks stood and with one last look at the young man before her she turned toward the stairs and headed to bed, hoping that Harry would do the same.

But Harry didn't go to bed. No he didn't, he sat on the floor and watched the sun come up through the door of the parlor. Tonks was right, he decided. Life was just so tiring some times. And at the moment not a single bit of it made sense.

SS & DM

Draco walked into the study ready for a fight. His godfather was bound to be furious with him for losing Hermione. Bracing himself he tried to get Severus' attention. " Severus?" he said apprehensively. The man barely even looked up form the book he was reading intently.

Worried now he tried again, " Severus?" and again all the man did was raise his head in acknowledgement. Giving up he went behind the chair to look at the book Severus held in his hand. Thankfully that got his attention.

Severus snapped the book shut and turned to look at the bothersome young man. " What so you want Draco?"

" I wanted to know what you were thinking and why you aren't at me for losing Granger?"

" If I were still angry with you and you only I would but seeing as events have gone this night I will refrain from taking all of it out on you… That is of course unless you wish me too?"

" No… no, no I'm quite alright. Don't worry yourself. So… what are we going to do about Granger? Potter seems to think that we have her, which we do, but I don't think its all too safe having the prat coming and going as he pleases."

" I've been thinking about that. If we can find a spell to keep her hidden from other's, even if they manage to look right at her, then it would solve a lot of problems. But unfortunately I'm not entirely sure a spell such as that exists." Severus sat back down and rested his head in his hands. There had been too many close calls in one night. The girl was beginning to become a problem… as well as life threatening. " Granger is becoming a problem… one we desperately need to fix."

HG

Several days passed where she hadn't seen much of Snape of Malfoy and to tell the truth the silence and solitude were becoming unnerving. When they did decide to show themselves they would simply ask if she were fine and if she had everything she needed and then disappear again. They spent a majority of time in Snape's private study. Hermione spent hers in the main study on the first floor. She had learned quite a bit about Snape's family and its history. Being the last Prince in existence had to be frustrating.

When she began to hear loud bangs from the upper levels she spent more and more time outdoors. Being alone was starting to weigh on her. Usually it wouldn't but she had gotten used to having Draco around to talk to or annoy when she got overly bored. But lately she had spent so much time alone she felt as if she were going out of her mind.

" That's it." She said to herself as she headed back to the house. One way or another she was going to figure out what they were up to and why they had refused to confide in her.

SP&DM

When there was a sudden pounding on the door both men jumped out of their chairs, dropping the books each of them had open in their laps. Just as Draco bent down to pick up the fallen items Hermione swept in the room.

" Hermione what are you doing in here?" he asked as he let the books he had managed to pick up fall back down to the floor.

" I was wandering what the two of you could be doing when you exclude me from almost every room in the house and making enough noise that I spend more time walking over the grounds than sitting in what few rooms I am aloud. So... which of you is going to spill the beans so to say?" she rambled as she looked between the two of them.

The girl could be intimidating when she needed to, Draco thought. Neither man was inclined to tell her they were trying to create a spell that would enable her to be invisible to everyone with the exception of the two of them. They had no idea how she would react to the prospect of constantly being under a spell. The two men looked at eachother apprehensively. Their faces plainly said what now. They had never thought the she would simply barge in and demand answers so they had never come up with any kind of plan, and with out a plan they had a shrewd idea that she would see through and lie they tried to feed her.

" We don't feel that it is any of your concern." Severus answered, not quite able to meet her eyes.

" Well your going to make it my business. I am tired of having nothing to do and not being able to look around this house. I have read almost every book of interest in the main study. I have nothing to do. Its obvious that you two have been up to some kind of research and you both know that I am the smartest witch of my year, much to your disdain Malfoy, and I think I could be of some help. So damn it tell me what the bloody hell you two have been up to."

Again the two men looked at eachother. Not knowing what else to do Draco opened his mouth to tell her when Severus cut him off. " Not a word Draco. Hermione you do not need to know what we have been studying… yet. So do please leave us be. As long as you stay out of this room we should all be fine."

" No I want to know what you two are up to."

" This is not open for discussion. Now leave or I will be forced to remove you. Remember girl that you are here because I let you stay here."

" Fine. I'll leave." She turned toward the door and then stopped. " Dinner will be ready at 7 sharp. Be there or neither of you will be eating again until breakfast." With that being said she left the room. Neither man thought that she was serious.