- Chapter 2 -

His long black hair draped over her face as he leaned in and nibbled her ear. His breath was ragged and shallow. He ground his body into hers, his hardness rubbing up against her. His lips trailed slowly down her neck, and he kissed her neck, her collarbone, biting down as he went lower. One hand grabbed her hips, and the other entwined in her hair as he pressed himself against her once more. She moaned loudly, gripping his shirt and pulling him in, her own hand in his hair bringing his head down on hers. His mouth connected with hers, and Hermione melted into him, relishing in the feeling of his lips as he unbuttoned her shirt revealing a purple laced bra. He slipped one hand underneath her bra and lightly touched her, his second hand on her hip. "Hermione..." he whispered. "Hermione, be safe..."

–

Hermione awoke startled, her breath ragged, a light sweat beading across her skin. Her heart was beating fast, and her head was pounding. She turned over to see Jason watching her in the dark. He smiled at her and despite her deep breaths, she smiled back. He was so beautiful, the moonlight seeping in through the window shining on his face. Her deep breaths slowed down as she knew she could feel safe. "Nightmare?"

"Uh, yeah," she nodded and cuddled into him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close nuzzling his face in her hair. She tried to forget about the dream, and forget about the day that had just passed. She was here, with Jason, in love, in Manhattan. She couldn't ask for anything more right now. Her imagination was just that, imagining.

"Oh Jane," he cooed into her ear. "Everything is going to be alright." And she knew it was true. Everything was going to be just fine. She wouldn't have to go to London, she wouldn't have to face that world again. Her heart hurt for the man she loved but never had, however, she did have an amazing man now who loved her deeply. She would survive.

"I love you Jason," she kissed him lightly on the lips and got out of bed to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

"I love you too."

The apartment was completely dark except for the lights of various clocks around the apartment. Hermione walked barefoot along the hardwood floor, small squeaks coming from underneath her feet. She wore one of Jason's long t-shirts, just barely covering past her undies. It was a relief to be able to know that she had a man to take care of her. He was so easy, and so simple. She was so comfortable in a non-magical world. There were no surprises, and everybody was fundamentally the same.

She turned to the corner towards the kitchen and something moved in the shadows. Her heart jumped and she stifled a scream, squinting into the darkness. But she didn't see anything, and laughed quietly to herself. Her nightmare was getting to her head, even though she had to admit it wasn't so much of a nightmare. She took a glass from the cupboard, filled it, and sipped it leaning forwards on the dark counter. It wasn't the first time she had this dream, and it replayed in her head over and over again.

It wasn't even so much of a dream as a memory. Back before the war, when everything was so complicated but yet so easy. They had been working all night on a very difficult potion, and finally broke through in the early hours of the morning. He called her brilliant, and hugged her, the hug lingering a few seconds longer than normal. She became flustered, and excused herself, saying goodnight, then heading to her bedroom to sleep. That's when he entered behind her, turned her to face him and Snape kissed her, with a passion that she never knew a man like him could have.

A light flickered in the corner of her eye, bringing her out of her memory, and she looked to the hallway to see a faint glow emitting from her room at the end of the hall. She knew Jason never turned on lights at night. He would walk around in the pitch black darkness all of the time if he could. She never understood it, but that's how he was. A sickening feeling washed over her. "Jason?" She went to move towards the room but froze as the familiar feeling of a sharp object pressed into her lower back, and a hand wrapped into her hair at the back of her head. "Well aren't you a lovely thing," an icy voice whispered into her ear. She felt her stomach drop. She recognized the voice, but it had been years since she heard it, and she grew deeply afraid. His long silver hair draped over her shoulder as he pulled her backwards into his body, and she realized just who was holding her. "Don't scream," he commanded as he pushed her towards the bedroom gripping her hair painfully and digging his wand into her back.

Hermione panicked and struggled from his grasp. She couldn't believe they found her, and now Jason was in danger too. "Let me go!" She cursed and writhed as Lucius Malfoy nudged open the door with his foot and pushed Hermione inside. "Look what I found Severus!"

"Lucius, were not here to..." he turned around and momentarily paused in his speech. "... to have fun." He eyed Hermione warily, the shock in his face evident only to her. She could almost read his thoughts through his eyes, and clearly they matched hers. Panic, and fear. Her heart raced at seeing him again, and a longing to run into his arms washed over her, but the amount of fear she felt clouded those thoughts.

Lucius laughed cruelly behind her, and chills ran down her spine. "The Dark Lord never said anything about sparing the muggle." At that point Hermione looked to Jason, to see him casually getting dressed.

She watched him grab his jacket, and unlock the drawer of his night table that he kept so secret. He pulled out a wand and tucked it into his back pocket. Hermione gasped out loud, fear washed away with confusion and shock. "Your... your...

"Jane, it's okay," he approached her, and Lucius let her go, although reluctantly, he untwined his hand from her hair and pushed her forward. Hermione looked at Snape, and she could see a slight amusement in his face, but also a deep anger, and a firm determination to play his part. He wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Jane, I'm a wizard. I know it's confusing to you, but I'll explain this all soon."

Hermione just stared at him dumbfounded. Absolutely confused. Her boyfriend of five years was a wizard. Not only a wizard, but in line with death eaters, with Severus. And to top everything off, they thought she was a Muggle. SHE. Even Lucius Malfoy didn't recognize her, but she never took him as clever. Her mind reeled with questions. The whole situation boggled her, and she wasn't an easily confused person. She looked up into Jason's eyes. They were filled with apologies. "Your a wizard..."

Snape stepped forward at this point, seemingly to have had enough with the nearing dramatic situation. Hermione knew he was saving her before she had a mental breakdown. If they thought she was a muggle, then that's good. "Jason, we have to go, immediately. Leave the girl." Hermione looked at him again, and still he refused to make eye contact with her. She wanted to read his mind. To see what he was thinking about all of this. To see how he felt about seeing her again.

"No, Jane comes with me," Jason looked at the two men, lingering on Lucius for a particular amount of time. "She will be safer with me."

Lucius smirked and nodded, apparating from the room with a small pop. Hermione was so shocked about the whole situation that her facial expression seemed to convey what one should feel the first time they see a person just 'pop' out of their bedroom. Jason took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. She wanted to cry, she wanted to just hug him, she wanted to pinch herself and tell herself that everything will be okay as soon as she wakes up. This was a nightmare. It had to be. "Jane, we are going to apparate now. Just hold on to me, and remember to breath, okay?" She nodded slowly, Snape still watching from the corner of the room, scrutinizing the situation. Jason passed her a pair of jeans, let her change, counted to three, and the couple disappeared, leaving Snape standing alone in the one bedroom flat.

Severus Snape stood alone, looking at the room around him. He could see Hermione everywhere. In the clothes so organized and prestine. In the décor and the design of the bedroom. In the pictures of her and the boy on the mantel. Annoyance prickled at the sight of those pictures. There was no sign of magic in the room. No sign of her past. He sat down for a moment on the bed and rubbed his temples. She spent all of this time in hiding, living as a muggle, and now she was in more danger than before. He brushed off the sickening feeling he was getting, and stood back up, straightening his robes and apparating from the room.