Disclaimer: Not mine, never been mine. I'm not making a single knut.

Hermione,

So sorry I haven't kept in touch recently; I've been busy-busy. You wouldn't BELIVE what goes into plotting and scheming. It's all so tiring. And of course, I had to get over the shame of reading that ghastly article about Potter and that ex-son of mine.

I hope the fag of my seed is still protecting you; well, that's a lie. Honestly, I hope he's NOT. But it just seems that they spend more time giving one another lovey eyes than watching you. This all works in my favor, of course. Even if that disappointment (I do so hate to call him son) is a queer, he still knows how to help his dad.

I do wonder, though, how things are with you and Severus. It seems that whatever you two had is gone now. Sure, he may still act the part, but from how I hear it, things aren't very convincing.

And CHARLIE WEASLEY? I knew you were a dirty mudblood, a disgrace to the name of magic, and not fit to wipe my shoes but…leading on the brother of your dead best friend? A dead best friend whom I hear used to also have a thing for you? Luckily, darling Severus jumped in and steered you away, I hear, so he was able to play the doting boyfriend once more.

Maybe this will be easier than I thought. Could it be that people just really don't care about you as much as you would like to think? Maybe they've already cast you off as a filthy mudblood. Maybe Draco is doing one good thing in his life and making Potter see the truth about you. Wouldn't that be something to see splashed across the Daily Prophet? 'The-Boy-Who-Lived turns on Mudblood Friend.' I think it would even take over that disgusting front page story about The Chosen One and his 'Lover'.

Adieu, Lucius

Hermione lowered the letter with shaking hands. She knew it was a mistake to open it at dinner but she didn't think about it until she had already opened it.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, looking around Draco so he could see her.

Hermione just stared straight ahead trying to process the words she had just read. She knew that he was trying to mess with her mind; that was his angle. He wanted to get inside her brain and make her doubt. She wouldn't listen to him; she couldn't. She knew the truth: Harry loved her. She was basically the only family he had. Draco basically loved her; she could see that in his eyes. They were all best friends now. And Severus…well, Severus would never turn his back on her even if he really didn't have feelings for her. She was his assignment, and Severus Snape never gives an assignment less that 100%.

So why was she still fretting over it? Now she was just being paranoid and she knew it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice was telling her that she had to snap out it; she had to go back to eating and act normal. Lucius' spy was probably discreetly watching her now.

His spy, she thought with malice. How did they figure out so much about me? How did they know about Ron liking me? We never dated officially; we kept everything under wraps and broke it off after a couple weeks when we realized we felt like brother and sister. Even the people in Gryffindor tower never thought we liked one another. I know a lot of people just assumed it since we were all together but that died down by 5th or 6th year. That's disconcerting.

Hermione attempted to shake herself from her thoughts. She knew that Harry and Draco would be worried about her. She looked over to tell them she was fine and just stared as Draco and Harry laughed to themselves. Draco had Hermione's letter in one hand and Harry was attempting to read it over his shoulder.

She tried not to be put out. She told herself that they weren't laughing at her distress and she was just being paranoid. She tried to focus on the present and tuned in as Harry was talking to Draco.

"….I think she's a mudblood," Harry said in a low, almost whispering, voice. Draco just nodded and shuddered and they both started laughing again.

Next thing she knew, she was standing with no recollection of doing so. Her plate was overturned; it must have been disturbed by her abrupt standing. Harry and Draco stared wide eyed at her, mouths slightly agape.

"Hermione…," Draco said, and reached a hand out to her tentatively. She jerked back before he could touch her and stepped over the bench. Now more students were watching her; she could feel it. She didn't care though; she was too angry.

She started walking away when she felt a hand on her arm stop her. She whipped around to see Harry standing with one leg on either side of the bench, reaching out to her.

"Let me go. NOW," she said in a low voice. "Just stay away from me."

She started walking faster and faster toward the entrance. She saw students from all houses and ages turn their heads to look at her.

One of these people are reporting to Lucius, she thought. With all eyes on her, who would notice one pair looking more intently?

And with that, she ran from the Great Hall.

XXX

"Professor Snape!"

Severus groaned inwardly as he recognized the voice. He had almost made it to his chambers. He was looking forward to no patrols after dinner and just a nice night to lie in bed, continued by a nice long weekend.

But of course, he forgot to factor in that the Fates hated him.

Turning around, his scowl turned into a slight frown as he watched Potter running full speed towards him with Draco on his heels. He looked at his godson's face as they reached him and could tell by his eyes that something was wrong.

Wrong. What could be wrong? Why would they come to him? The only reason they ever came to find him instead of Albus when something was wrong is when it had to do with-

"Where's Hermione?" Severus asked immediately.

"She's…mad…necklace…off…don't know…where-," Harry puffed out, holding a stitch in his side.

Draco, who seemed to be in better breathing, cast a muffliato around them and clarified. "She's gone. We don't know where. She got upset after receiving an owl from Lucius at dinner and ran out of the Hall. Harry was worried about her and wanted to go after her, but I told him to give her some alone time. It's my fault; I was a bit upset that she snapped at us at dinner, and I figured she was just stressed so I just thought-"

"Get on with it, Draco!" Snape cut in anxiously.

"Right, well, after dinner we decided to go see if she was better, except she wasn't in the room; at all. We even checked her room. It looked empty, but normal…except for this," Draco said, and grimly held up the necklace he had made for Hermione and handed it to his godfather. Snape just stared at it, not knowing what to say. Fear was creeping up into his veins like ice water.

"What about that bloody map of yours?" he snarled at Harry. Harry straightened up and explained that they had thought of that as well, but it never came when summoned. So they had run up to his dorm, and it was gone. They figured that she took that as well.

Fuck, he thought. Where would she have gone?

"What did the letter say, how did she act, and where did you check?"

"Here, you can read it. She acted really upset and almost scared; paranoid even. And we haven't checked many places because we wanted to come straight to you, so we ran from Gryffindor Tower," Harry said.

Snape just nodded absently at Harry's voice as he read the letter.

"Go and inform the Headmaster that I am going to search for her. Alone," he held up his hands to forestall any complaints. "I've done this for years, even before you were born. It'll be faster this way; I believe I may know of a way to locate her. Tell the Headmaster to send me a patronus message if he finds her. Draco, you know how to send one as well, so you do the same if you and Potter come across her. I will send one if I do, or if my way fails."

"Yes sir," Harry said, and Draco nodded, then they were running again. Snape stalked through his private chambers and straight into his potions lab. He grabbed a map that showed Hogwarts and a 10 mile radius around it and laid it on a table. This way, he would know if she went into Hogsmeade.

Next, he grabbed some potions ingredients and immediately set to work bring them to a boil. He added hair of a blood hound, as well as a sliver of a thestral talon to the concoction that was a deep blue. Finally he added a piece of Hermione's hair that had, thankfully, gotten caught on her necklace.

When it was completely boiled and a brilliant green color, he dipped a pointed crystal tied to a rope into it and held it for 30 seconds. When he brought it back out of the potion, the crystal had absorbed the potion and now glowed the same green.

He brought the crystal over to the map and held it over the paper by the rope.

"Show me where Hermione Granger is," Snape commanded and lowered the crystal to the map, the point barely resting on it. He waited a few moments, holding his breath, and then the point of the crystal began to move on its own accord. It seemed to be staying in the confines of the castle, which suited him. It was heading to the top portion of the castle, and before it even reached its destination, Snape knew where he would find her.

XXX

Stupid, Hermione thought to herself. This is all stupid. I'm being paranoid, Harry and Draco don't hate me, and they're probably all really pissed I disappeared. I know all of this. So why don't I feel reassured?

Hermione paced up and down in the grass, letting the sun hit her face.

Well, artificial sun. When she had gotten to the Room of Requirement, all she had asked was for a place where she could get away from everything; she wanted to be able to forget what was happening and go to somewhere where she could relax…if she was ever able to wind down enough.

Right now, it wasn't looking in her favor. She had been pacing for the last almost hour. Every time she talked herself into calming down and thinking rationally, her paranoia would start up and she'd be back to where she was before.

She just wanted this to be over. She had hoped with the end of the war she would be able to have a semi-normal life. But now she was stuck with an almost 24hr guard team watching her every move, a madman on the loose trying to kill her, and a fake relationship with a man whom she was having feelings a student should NOT be having towards her teacher. It all just got to be too much. She finally just sat down under a large tree with her head in her hands on her knees and cried.

"I do hope you don't think your tears will stop us from being pissed you ran off, Hermione," said a deep baritone voice.

Her head snapped up and looked over at where Snape was leaning casually against a tree, arms crossed, as if he somehow found ways of making it into secret rooms to find runaway paranoid girls crying under fake trees every day. She saw what looked like a patronus fly from behind him disappear.

"How did you get in here?" Hermione asked.

"I'm a Hogwarts professor, Hermione, as well as a powerful wizard well-verse in normal and dark magic and ex-Death Eater. It's simple; I asked." He smirked at her astonishment. "You think I don't know about the Room? I was a student here once, as well, Hermione. It wasn't only you and your friends that found it. I simply asked that it let me in to you because you are in grave danger and I am your…protector."

"You tricked the Room!"

"I prefer…cunning. Technically, nothing I said was a lie. I AM in charge of protecting you, and you ARE in danger. You would be in LESS danger, however, if you kept your bloody tracking device on!"

Hermione's face crumpled and fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened! The letter just got to me and…I just took off! I've been in here for an hour now, knowing what I did was stupid and dangerous and wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to go back out there! I know Harry and Draco wouldn't hurt me but…it just seemed so logical at the time!" Hermione sobbed.

"Yes, I read the letter," Snape snapped. "I still don't agree with you running off! And if you did, you could have come to my quarters! You know that! That's the point in keeping this up! You have access to my wards for a reason! If you even had the slimmest doubt in Potter or Draco, you should've come straight to me! If you have any doubt in ANYTHING, you come straight to me."

"I…I didn't even think of that," Hermione said, looking as if she had been hit over the head.

"Clearly," Snape sneered. "If anything, you should've come to me anyway since I could probably talk to you more about paranoia than anyone else. I was a spy, you know."

Next thing he knew, he had Hermione's arms wrapped around him in a fierce hug, with her sobbing into his cloak.

"I was so stupid. I'm sorry! I haven't been sleeping well, and I just get so worried! And I know this is all my fault and his spy probably sensed that and used it against me. But…but…" and the rest of her words were swallowed by sobs and he couldn't make them out if he tried.

Slowly, he pulled his arms free from the hold she had, but she still clutched to him. Sighing, he carefully lowered his arms to her back and awkwardly patted her.

"Hermione, as touching as this is, I must insist we journey back out into the castle so your friends can share in this…hug. Preferably, when I'm far away."

Surprisingly, Hermione started laughing at that, and pulled away. She looked almost like her old self again.

"Right you are, professor. I have to face them sometime."

"Indeed."

The both casually strolled towards the random door in the middle of her outdoor scenery.

"So, how did you do it? How did you find me?" she asked.

Snape raised one eyebrow at her.

"Magic, of course."

"Smartass."

XXX

"HERMIONE!" came two different male voices.

Hermione sighed and braced herself for what was to come. She turned around and was about to apologize, but before she could get any words out she was caught in a firm hug.

"Don't you ever do that again! Do you hear me?" Harry pulled her away long enough to stare her directly in the eyes and give her a slight shake before she was pulled against him again. "I don't care what he says to you! You go find Professor Snape before anyone! Got it?"

Hermione had started crying again by this point and could only nod. She looked to where Draco was standing a little off, with his arms crossed.

Draco looked at her with almost a glare, before sighing and uncrossing his arms. Finally, he walked over to where Harry was still half strangling her and peeled him off of her.

"Careful Harry. Anymore shaking and Severus will choke you again," Draco said, ignoring Hermione.

Harry and Snape looked back and forth between Draco and Hermione before Snape finally called Harry over.

"Did you send a patronus to the Headmaster?" she heard him ask, and she heard him murmur a muffliato.

She glanced up at Draco. He looked as if he were trying very hard to keep himself together. His arms were crossed again, and he was staring at a point above her head. An easy feat, since he was almost a good 10 inches taller than her.

"Draco…listen…," Hermione began, but was cut off.

"How could you, Hermione? After everything I've tried this semester, everything I've done for you and Harry, EVERYTHING I DID IN THAT BLOODY WAR WHERE I LOST MY FAMILY, NAME, AND LIFE….after ALL of THAT…how could you sit there and let ONE FUCKING LETTER from him convince you that I was plotting with Harry behind your back? Convince you that I'm turning HARRY FUCKING POTTER, BLEEDING HEART THAT HE IS, SON OF MUGGLEBORN LILY POTTER, into a pureblooded way of thinking. That somehow, I'm CONVINCING HIM that his BEST FRIEND is a mudblood," he ranted.

Hermione blanched and attempted to apologize again, but Draco was on a role.

"You were my only friend here, Hermione! You were the only one willing to give me a chance at first other than Dumbledore and Severus! At least, when I found out we'd be sharing quarters, I was relieved because I didn't believe I'd had to watch my back every five minutes!"

"I'M SORRY!"

"Oh, you're sorry! You're always bloody SORRY, Hermione! Stop being SORRY and stop doing the things that make you sorry in the first place! I understand this is hard for you, really, I do. But this isn't just about you anymore. You're just the key; you're the tool. You're in Harry's position now. If anything, talk to him sometime about how you feel!" Draco yelled, now going red in the face. "Because if Lucius succeeds we're going to have much bigger problems on our hands."

Draco started to stalk away and turned a corner. She heard Snape release the spell and felt his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off ran after Draco.

Rounding the corner, she heard noises coming from an alcove where he must have forgotten the muffliato. She peeked tentatively inside and felt her heart break as she saw Draco with his forehead against the wall, arm above him, crying.

"Draco…," she whispered, and stepped into the alcove. She pulled his unresisting form to her and just hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Draco, I'm so sorry. I'm really going to try. Severus gave me a talking to in the Room earlier and right when I walked out of the Hall I knew I had done the wrong thing. I'm so sorry Draco. I know you wouldn't hurt me," she whispered to him as she rubbed his back. "I love you Draco, so much. You and Harry and Severus have helped me through so much and I've only given you all hardships. Well no more. I'm going to really try."

"I love you too, Hermione," Draco said between his slowing tears.

"I'm so happy we all love each other," said a sneering baritone voice that could only belong to one man. Both Hermione and Draco flipped him off and continued to hug, while Harry sniggered.

XXX

"Aww, Professor! Another one?" Draco asked, not even bothering to keep the whine out of his voice.

"Yes, Mr.M-Draco, another one. Our last ball was quite a success and I am determined to make this a very happy returning year to the best of my abilities," the headmaster said.

"But…it's not even the Triwizard tournament! How can we have a Yule Ball?"

Dumbledore just waved his hand dismissively. "Oh pfft, those are just details. It just seems easier to call it a Yule Ball rather than Christmas or Holiday ball."

Draco just snorted and went back to taking notes.

"Ok, Professor, so basically the same rules apply as the last one, but without the costume restrictions, correct? No inappropriate dress or behavior and such?" Hermione asked.

"Yes and all students are allowed to attend, rather than during your fourth year where it was just fourth years and up. Also, you'll see I have scheduled it to where it is day before the end of the term. It will be on that Friday night and the students will be boarding the train Saturday afternoon. That way, no one will have to make the decision whether to stay for the fun or be home with their families this year," Dumbledore said, sitting back and looking very pleased with himself.

"Yes sir. Ok, well, with this Hogsmeade weekend coming up this Saturday, it will give the students ample time to send away for money if you tell them tonight at dinner. Then that will give us 2 weeks to prepare everything," Hermione said, scanning Draco's notes.

"Spectacular," he said dryly.

"You're just mad because you can't go incognito again," she laughed.

"True," Draco sighed as he stood up. They both said goodbye to the headmaster and started their trek back to their rooms, Draco already calling a meeting of the prefects.

"This one will be better because you will be able to openly dance with Harry," Hermione said as they walked.

Draco snorted. "It will be better in a selfish way, but in no way easier. I mean, how is the now openly gay savior-of-the-world Harry Potter dancing with the equally gay son of a death eater easier?" he laughed. "But at least this time I can just assume we'll be going together instead of beating around the bush."

XXX

"Another one?"

"I know! That's what I said!" Draco replied, rolling his eyes. Harry had joined them after the prefect meeting and Draco had wasted no time in filling his boyfriend in.

"It won't be that bad," Hermione said from behind her Ancient Runes book.

"Yes it will. I hate dancing, and I hate dressing up, and I especially hate being gawked at while I'm dressed up and dancing," Harry complained.

"Then don't go," Hermione shrugged.

"That's not an option. I won't feed Draco to the wolves. It's Christmas!"

Hermione peeked around her book in time to see Draco giving Harry a love-struck look and rolled her eyes. She stood up.

"Well, looks like you need to learn to dance then. I'm going to go see Severus; I want to forewarn him about this ball," Hermione said.

"Oh shit, I forgot about Snape. Yeah, you have it worse; you're right," Harry said and automatically ducked the pillow she sent flying at him.

Five minutes later she was knocking on Snape's door to his quarters.

"Ah, Hermione, what a…pleasant…surprise," Snape drawled when he answered the door.

Smiling cheekily at him, she walked through the door and followed him to his library.

"To what do I owe the honor of your company?" he said as he settled himself behind his desk and continued grading.

"I just had a Head Student meeting with the Headmaster and I felt the need to forewarn you that he's announcing tonight at dinner that there is to be a Yule ball."

Snape snorted. "Of course. I'm not surprised at all. Very well. Shall I send out for chocolate strawberries and giant balloons, or will this suffice for me asking you to accompany me?"

"I'd prefer the chocolate strawberries, now that you mention it," Hermione said nonchalantly as she flopped into one of his chairs.

"Sorry, fresh out."

"Damn."

"Do you have proper attire for the ball, or will you need me to purchase a dress for you?" Snape asked.

"You don't have to buy me anything, even if I didn't have 'proper attire'," she said. "But no, I do not. I was going to use this next Hogsmeade weekend to go looking. However, I know it's not a smart idea for me to be out so I think I may owl order it from a catalog."

"Well, if you don't have sufficient funds, let me know and I will help. Also, let me know as soon as you know what color your dress is so I can match accordingly," he told her.

"But black goes with everything, Severus," she laughed.

"Ha…ha," Snape drawled as he continued grading.