Escaping with the Traitor

A/N: I have a high respect for Severus and this chapter was rather hard to write. Nevertheless, here it is. Oh, and all you wonderful readers who have put me on their list to follow? Please tell me why you want to read my story! I would love to hear from you!

Hermione tucked her bloody knees up against her chest when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Ginny shuddered by her side, but stuck up her dirt smeared chin in defiance. Eight days of absolute hell had only tired the two stubborn girls; they had much more to lose if they gave in than the pain they suffered for not. Filthy did not begin to describe their present appearance. Their mud and blood streaked bodies bore the days of torture and broken bones ached with selfless defense of their cause. Perhaps Lord Voldemort had thought they would have been easier to break or know more information. All he had gained was a person insight to how much the ever living Harry Potter cared for the two girls. Of course, that leverage was all he needed. Potter was known for his foolishly heroic actions.

When the door was thrown open, it was a great surprise to see Severus Snape's looming figure staring at them through the dim lighting. While Lord Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange were common visitors of the prisoners, their ex-Professor had never been present for any of the torture sessions. Pale faced with a stone cold gaze, he said nothing, but shut the door quickly behind his back. His boots made no sound as he crossed the dirt floor to their venerable position.

"Traitor!" Ginny's hoarse voice broke the dusty silence as she spit in Snape's direction.

Hermione stiffened in fear as Shape raised his wand thinking her young friend had said too much this time. There was much fire to the youngest Weasley, but now was not the time or the place. Hermione could not help but notice however, that there was no reaction in Snape's eyes. It was as if he could not look at them as he concentrated on their metal bindings.

"Difindo," he murmured under his breath and with a flash of light, the chains that attached both of their ankles to the wall fell in pieces.

"What do you want?" whispered Hermione as she swallowed back her fear.

She had survived the Dark Lord's morbid intrusion of her mind and Bellatrix Lestrange's deranged torture of carving her lowly blood status into the back of her hand. She had expected pain from them and knew what they would do to her; however, the man she had taken classes from for the past six years absolutely terrified her. Even as unfair as the Head of Slytherin had been, he had always been consistent. There had even been times that she thought he enjoyed teaching and honestly she enjoyed learning from him. But not now. Everything she thought she knew about him went out the window when he murdered Albus Dumbledore in cold blood.

The dark solitary man made no comment as he turned back to the door. Gently pushing the old wooden door to peer out he turned promptly to them and motioned them forward. They must have given him a very confused and untrusting look, because his emotionless face swiftly turned into a glare.

"Do you wish to remain in this hell hole? This is no time to prove how stubborn and courageous you are. I do not know how or why, but she has managed to talk your way out of here, so unless you plan on living the rest of your inevitably short lives in this place, I suggest you get moving."

Ginny pushed herself unsteadily to her feet and flipped her matted red hair over her shoulder to bend over and help her friend. The Weasley family may be blood traitors, but nothing compares to being a Mudblood and Hermione had undoubtedly suffered greatly for her non-magical bloodline. Wincing greatly, Hermione accepted Ginny's assistance and was careful not to put too much weight on an injured limb. Snape was waiting impatiently at the door as the two attempted an awkward three legged maneuver.

Allowing her Gryffindor courage to get the best of her, Hermione asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Believe it or not, Ms. Granger, this world is more complicated than you think it is. It is not white or black." Snape opened the door far enough to permit them access to the hallway and they began their slow creep down the dark and dusty passage. "I am helping you, because you have greater value outside of these walls than being held here."

Black cloak billowing, he guided them to the end of the passage to a side door with uncertain looking stairs. The rickety wooden steps did not seem to bother Snape in the least bit, even though they groaned under his polished shoes, but Hermione and Ginny's awkward dance came to a halt at the bottom of them. The look of annoyance was still etched on to his face, yet he did not reprimand them. Instead he retreated back down and slipped his arm around the other side of Hermione's waist. After a scathing look from Ginny, the three proceeded up the staircase together.

"Who is 'she'?" Ginny spoke softly when they reached the top of the stairs. Snape raised an eyebrow at her question, but instead of answering, he quickly unlocked a small wooden door to the left of the hallway they had just arrived at. The hallway itself probably led to the interior of the first floor of the house, but the door he had chosen open to the green lawn of the Malfoy Mansion. Ginny was not going to let the topic drop. "You said that 'she' managed to talk our way out. Who is 'she'?"

Snape took no effort to hide the irritation on his face and in his voice as he finally responded to her question. "The queen of Gryffindor pride herself. Now if you would stop asking ridiculous questions we can get on with this." The two girls seemed to put the pieces together about the same time because both sets of brown eyes widened quite a bit in shock. There was a bit of stumble as Ginny had nearly dropped Hermione, but luckily Snape had never removed his support of Hermione's arm and steadied her.

"McGonagall? But what could she have done…" Hermione trailed off, possibly thinking of all the things her esteemed Head of House could, or rather, would have done to see them safely returned home.

"I believe the better question, Ms. Granger, is why the Dark Lord decided to listen to her." For once, his dark eyes held no contempt or annoyance, but instead were blank once more. She could not decide if he was covering up pity or pretending to care. After a few seconds of careful consideration, she decided she did not care. No matter what side Severus Snape decided to fight for in the end, Minerva McGonagall would die for their cause. And that thought alone was scary enough.

They arrived at the gates in silence. Snape offered his other arm to Ginny who, with an unforgiving glare, placed her own hand upon it and off they spun into the darkness. They all fell into a heap in the middle of a dirt road when they finished apparating. Even Snape found himself on his knees, pulled down by Hermione's sheer weight. Whipping out his wand, he lit it quickly. Not bothering himself to help either girl up he waited. He did not have to wait long: flashes of green and red lights flew through the air and he swiftly conjured a shield.

"No! Wait!" To Snape's surprise, Hermione had managed to drag herself to a standing position between the two men and her ex-professor. "Please, Mr. Weasley, it's us!" Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin stood on either side of them wands drawn. At the sight of his battered daughter, Arthur took a step forward, only to be stopped again by Remus' shout.

"No, wait. It could be a trick." Eyeing Snape carefully, he turned his attention to Hermione. "What did the boggart turn into during your final in your third year?"

"Professor McGonagall. She told me I had failed everything." Remus nodded at her answer and watched as Ginny took a step towards her father.

"Dad, before I started school, when there was no one else in the house, you and I would put on socks and dance to Celestina Warbeck." Tears had formed in both father and daughter's eyes and when Arthur dropped his wand Ginny sprinted into his arms and buried her face in his chest.

Remus still held his wand steadily at Snape's face. "What are you doing here?"

"Bringing them home." The dark haired man gently tossed his own wand over to Lupin. "She needs medical attention. And there is something I need to show you."

"What would that be, Snape?"

"The truth."

Preview:

Moonlit Kisses

"No, you can't go talk to one of your friends in the moonlight who also happens to be very attractive, very eligible, and very in love with you?"