Hermione sat comfortably on the Hogwarts Express after the end of her Christmas break holidays. Hermione wore both Harry and her mother's Christmas gifts to her. Draco sat beside Violet and it was clear that they were still going strong in their relationship, Samuel was talking with Daphne and she was blushing very heavily at something he said, Theo was whispering in Pansy's ear and she was laughing, Blaise and Kaliban were playing Wizard's Chess, and Harry sat down to talk to Hermione.
"How was your Christmas 'Mione?" Harry asked her.
"It was wonderful Harry, I spent time with my friends and family and thank you so much for the necklace it is so beautiful," Hermione said and then blushed.
"You're very welcome Hermione," Harry said.
They continued to talk for a while until they arrived at the station and went their separate ways to the carriages. Hermione sat in a carriage with Violet, Daphne, and Pansy and Blaise, Draco, Kaliban, Theo, and Samuel were squished into another carriage.
Hermione sat down at the Slytherin Table and started to enjoy the feast, but Hermione started to get a bad feeling that something was going to happen and it was going to be very bad. Hermione shook it off as nerves and she continued to talk to her best friends.
As Hermione made her way down to the Slytherin Common Room, she got the sudden impression that someone, other than her friends and fellow Slytherins, was following her and it gave her the creeps.
When Blaise saw Hermione's discomfort and immediately put his arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her closer to himself. The others saw that simple gesture and did the same to their girlfriends.
When they finally entered the Slytherin Common Room, Hermione relaxed because she knew that she was safe within the walls of the Common Room and that everyone there would help protect her.
1 hour after they had entered the Common Room Hermione decided to go talk to Professor Snape about her feelings. She never felt that way before and it seemed that either someone was following her or she was just being paranoid.
Hermione knocked on Snape's office door and was not surprised when he opened it up.
"Hermione, what can I help you with at this hour?" Snape said courteously to the girl.
"I'm scared Professor" Hermione said and Severus invited the girl in.
"Would you like a cup of tea, Hermione?"
"Yes please, Professor"
Severus handed the girl a cup of tea and she thanked him.
"What do you mean you're scared?" he asked Hermione because he could see the terror in her eyes.
"Well, my friends and I were walking back to the Common Room after supper and I felt that someone was following me. It really scared me because here I'm supposed to be safe, but I fear that I can't even walk down the hallways without being in danger. Blaise put his arm around me and then I felt safer, but I really hope that if someone is after me that they don't go after my brother and best friends" Hermione said and Severus could see just how deep her terror, concern, fear, and anxiety really was.
"Hermione, when you and Blaise were born your mother asked me to be your godfather. I accepted and after your father died your mother came to me in tears and told me who did it and what she felt she had to do to protect you from Dumbledore. I will be on the lookout for someone who appears to always be looking at you and in time will deal with the problem. I'll escort you back to the Common Room now" Severus said and Hermione humbly thanked the man that she had learned to despise for years.
Upon arriving at the portrait, Hermione hugged Professor Snape and thanked him for listening so attentively and soothing her concerns. He said that if she ever needed to talk again that his door would be open 24/7 for her.
Hermione said the password and walked into the Common Room and found that all her best friends and brother were still awake and waiting for her.
"Where were you, 'Mione?" Violet asked her voice full of concern.
Hermione looked around and could tell that everyone was waiting for her answer.
"After supper, I felt like someone was following me and it scared me to death. Blaise helped calm me down, but I felt I needed to tell a teacher about it. I went to talk to Professor Snape and he told me that he would look into it and that I could come and tell him anytime I felt like something was off. I just was hoping that all of you weren't going to get involved because I feared for your safety in case something really major did happen" Hermione said and by now she was sobbing.
Blaise spoke up for everyone in the room.
"Hermione, none of us would ever leave you in danger. If you are in danger we are all willing to do whatever it takes to help protect you and keep you safe. Since you have entered my life, I have never seen mum so happy and you have almost given us Slytherins a soul. You show others in other houses that we are not soulless monsters who willingly and would all serve the Dark Lord. We are all grateful for that" Blaise said and that stopped Hermione's torrent of tears.
"Thanks guys" Hermione said simply to the people that had become her extended family.
"I love all this bonding time, but if we go to bed any later we will all be dead tired during our classes and that is never a good thing" Daphne said and everyone laughed at her comment.
With a final goodnight to each other, they all went to their dormitories and got ready for bed. Hermione felt much more secure now that she had her godfather watching after her as well as her brother, and her best friends in the whole wide world willing to be there for her no matter what would happen.
All Hermione hoped for was that the danger she felt coming would never come to pass and that she would not have to lose anyone else she was close to.
