Until we meet again

Three weeks had passed since Severus had gone to visit Harry. He was tired, shakily he ran a hand through his black hair. The lines in his face were becoming deeper, his eyes sunken. they had lost their light and spirit. He was now not living he was merely existing. He could hear Hermione in the bedroom, talking, to whom he could only assume was Potter through the mirror he had given her. If it was not him she was talking to he was sure perhaps she was becoming mentally unstable.

He needed to get out, to leave these four walls that felt like they were closing in on him inch by inch day by day, he was sure they were going to suck the life out of him.
He hated himself, how could he be so fucking miserable and worn down when he got to spend his time alone with Hermione? He had been nothing but an ass to her for the past two weeks, pushing her away and making her feel like an outcast. In one instance he snapped at her and told her if it was not for her he would not be a prisoner in this hell hole. He had solely laid the blame on her, and you know what she done? Forgave him, told him he was merely overcome with a case of cabin fever, and yet he still kept pushing her away.

Rubbing his temples he could only hold all his hope on Potter brining this to an end... But he would not hold his breath on the matter, Potter was not all that smart. Hermione always had been and always was the brain of the operation.

He heard her heading towards the sitting room of the cabin, pulling him from his thoughts he turned in his chair to look at her. She looked as stunning as ever, her brown curls hung loose down her back, her skin as perfect as a china doll, how could he be so damned miserable when he got to lay next to that every night?

"We are just trying to think of the last two Horcruxes." She shot a confused look.
He just shrugged his shoulders in response, if he did know what they were, he would be out there now destroying them.

"Help us, So far we the diary, the ring, the locket, the diadem and the cup. " She counted each one off on her fingers.
"Oh I have no idea, Hermione. Maybe Potter is a Horcurx, we can only hope because I am about to head on over there and kill him myself if he does not get me out of this place soon. So if I do kill him I can claim it was for the grater good." Frustrated and annoyed he got to his feet striding to the door in three fluid steps he walked out into the darkened forest, sun attempting to break through the thick trees.

Dishevelled and angry, two things Severus Snape was right now. He loved Hermione, dearly. But if it was not for her he would be a free man right now. He would be at Hogwarts, in his office drinking fire whiskey, the biggest worry of his day would be some nitwit who would come to him with a stupid complaint that if they possessed half a brain could of worked away around it without the need to disrupt him.

He kicked at some dead leaf matter on the ground, he was frustrated he needed a way out of here, soon. Being locked in a cabin for weeks on end was a far cry for the romantic situation he thought it may end up being.

Hermione watched him through the window, she was worried. She had noticed him becoming distant and snappy. He say starting to say things he did not mean, he was becoming the shadow of the man she knew he was. His sarcasm and dry humour had left along with his sanity, she kept pinning all her hopes in Harry, but the truth was she did not know if he had it in him or not.

She watched as he walked away from the cabin and towards the edge of the wards. Where was he going? He would have told her if he was going anywhere. The truth was he had no idea where he was going, he needed to get away for a few moments and feel normal again, even if it was just for ten minutes of his life. He felt a tingly sensation run through him as he stepped through the wards, he was sure the air was cleaner out here, taking in lungfuls of it hungrily.
Rushing around the cabin she grabbed the bag from the bedroom, throwing in belongs haphazardly she shrank it and tucked it inside of her pocket. She decided it would be best to take the lot and follow him, in case he vanished.

Chasing after him she ran until she hit the end of the wards, stepping through them she looked left and right, she caught sight of his robes whipping around some trees. Following him in hot pursuit she stopped, panting, when she found him standing next to a fast running stream.
"What, are you doing?" She managed to spit out between panted breaths.
He chose to ignore her, she hated being ignored. She went to take a step forward when she felt a hot whisper in her ear.
"I knew we would find you." The lips grazed her ear softly, an arm hugging her tight around the waist.
Breath hitched in her throat as the low grumble of Lucius Malfoy's voice rang through her ear. His voice almost seductive, his touch made her head spin.
"Severus!" She screamed, hoping he would hear.
He turned around at the urgency in the girls voice, Bellatrix heading towards him like a bull to a red flag, shooting spells haphazardly into the air.
She disarmed him, he was defenceless, Hermione was defenceless, atl east they could be defenceless together. He was sure now they would both be dead. And for what? Him loosing his sanity for a few moments.
Bellatrix dragged Snape towards Lucius. "Good to see you again, old friend. My my you are hard to track down. Perhaps you did not realise your dark mark is also a tracker. We have pinpointed you to this area for weeks, and now with perseverance and patience, the dark lord will greatly reward us."

SS/HG

"I am sorry." He held his head in his hands. They sat on the cold stone floor.
"It's ok, you weren't yo know." She ran a hand across his back, gently.
They were back at the Mafloy Manor, back in the dank and cold dungeon. They had hastily been thrown in there, they had no idea what would become of them.
"Well, here we are. Alone in the Mafloy's dungeon, wandless, not a soul in the world knows where we are and-." His head snapped to the dungeon door, footsteps getting closer.
Lucius Malfoy emerged, wand pointed. "Come." He hissed as he ceased Severus around the wrist tightly, dragging him out of the dank dark cell.
He swallowed hard, he was about to find out what was to become of him.

SS/HG
Hermione jumped, she could hear muffled voices floating down towards her, muffled screams followed, the silence. Tears fell own her cheeks, she knew something was happening to him, she could feel it in her bones.

Footsteps headed back, a low moan met her ears, a dark figure carried something heavy within it's arms, dropping it unceremoniously onto the hard cold stone floor, she shuddered. It was him. The figure left without even a second glance back.
Dropping to her knees beside him, he was stark white, blood dribbled from his mouth, cuts grazed his head.
He shook, violently on the ground. She began to sob into his chest. "Hermione," He rasped, softly. She looked him into his eyes, he looked worn and tired, any glimmer of light he had left was slowly being extinguished.
He took her hands in his. "I am sorry," He spluttered out.
Hermione shook her head "This is not your fault."
"Traitors have to pay for the treacherous ways, I am paying for mine now."
"No." She sobbed loudly.
He pulled one of his hands from hers, with his thumb he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I really took a battering up there." He forced a smirk, trying to cover up the pain he was in.
"They brought me down here to die, so you could watch. Punishment for the path I choose."
"No," She gasped. He was not dyeing, she would not let him, but then she did not have a wand to fix him.
"You cannot hold off the inevitable." He mused, even in his time of death he was insightful.
"I know dyeing is part of life, but why now. Why here." She sniffled.
"I guess it is just my time." He squeezed her hand, harder then she thought a dyeing man ever could.
"Good bye," She whispered.
He shook his head. "Not good bye, Hermione. Until we meet again." He gave her a soft smile. Tired, he closed his eyes.
"I love you," The statement only audible to herself.

A/N: NOOOOOOOO not Snape :'( NOT SNAPE. Poor Snape. What will happen to Hermione? What will she do now she is all alone in the Malfoy dungeons?
I was getting bored with the whole cabin scene so decided to spice it up a bit. That and I wanted to get the whole war thing over so I could continue on with the rest of the story. This story was honestly meant to be no more then 8 chapters... Now I just keep getting idea after idea.
I hope you like it and I hope I choose the right path for this story.

And a HUGE THANK YOU! To all those who made it possible for this story to hit 100 reviews.