Hey guys!

Sorry this is so late, it's finals week and I've been studying for hours a day and I've finally found some free time :)

Read, review, and enjoy!

Hermione spent the day with Minerva, in her office preparing for the new school year. No matter how much Hermione tried to change the subject, Minerva wanted all the details of her time away from school.

"I hope he's treating you right, given what you're doing," she snapped while shuffling some papers.

"Severus has been wonderful, given the circumstances,"

"I don't think I've ever heard someone describe Severus Snape as 'wonderful' before,"

"He is, it's just no one really tried to look,"

Minerva straightened up and studied the girl closely. Hermione fidgeted a moment, uncomfortable with her staring.

"What?" Hermione finally asked.

"There's something between the two of you…and I don't know that I like it,"

Hermione felt the blood rush into her face, and she quickly lowered her eyes to her lap. What was she to say? Yes, she was sure she was in love with her former Professor? She cared about him more and more and when he went to meetings she anxiously sat around to make sure he would come back safely?

"You should be on your guard. Severus is not a man who makes attachments. For as long as I've known him, he's never once had a decent friend,"

"I know," Hermione replied softly.

He did care for her, didn't he? Her mind flitted back to the day she was tortured. He had held her tightly in an effort to help her screaming muscles. When she was about to leave for Headquarters, he was afraid that she would be hurt, or that she wouldn't come back. She chewed her lip for a moment. How could he think that she wouldn't come back? She couldn't just leave him! She'd never leave him. As long as he needed her, she would be there for him.

Minerva asked about the Dark Lord, but Hermione never revealed much information about that. If she knew Hermione had been tortured, Severus would never hear the end of it. It was at a time like this that Hermione wished she had Remus to talk to. And idea suddenly popped into her head.

Pulling out a spare piece of parchment, Hermione dipped her quill in ink and began furiously began to scribble.

Dear Remus,

How are you? I know you've gone into hiding, and I was afraid to write to you and give away your position.

Have you heard from Tonks yet? Where is she staying?

Everything is going fine here. I'm afraid that I can't reveal much more in case someone intercepts this.

I'm at Hogwarts now, with Severus. He's getting ready for the new school year. The school isn't the same anymore. It's dead. I'm not allowed to be seen, but Minerva knows everything, we told her earlier today.

Things are already getting more difficult, and I know that this is only the beginning. We have a long road ahead of us.

Hope all is well,

H.G

Hermione paused for a moment, studying her initials, before viciously scribbling them out and replacing them. She smiled at the change on the paper.

H.S

Hermione used Minerva's owl to send her letter, and spent a long moment staring into the sky, wishing that she was flying along with it, but knowing she wouldn't leave Severus' side for anything in the world. He had been alone far too long, and it was time he had someone to lean on when he needed help.

The day passed slowly, and only when night had fallen did Hermione leave the classroom to make her way back to Dumbledore's office. Quickly she made her way up the stairs and into the room, lit only with the fireplace. Her eyes instantly landed on his face, which was drawn and pale, as if it had aged in a matter of hours.

"Is everything alright?" she asked approaching the desk.

His eyes locked with hers, and she immediately knew that he had shut himself down, and she wouldn't be getting through his harsh exterior tonight. Without a word he tossed a letter across the desk and she gently picked it up.

Harsh lettering splattered across the paper, and a chill ran up her spine at knowledge of whose handwriting it was.

Severus,

I have decided that you should have some help with your new task. Alecto Carrow will be taking up the post of Muggle Studies, where the new curriculum will be to teach the children what abominations Muggles are. Also, Amycus Carrow will be taking the post of the Dark Arts where we will train students not to defend against the Dark Arts, but how to perform such actions. I have also given them guidelines on how the children should be punished if they disobey.

The letter was not signed, but it didn't need to be.

Hermione raised her eyes to Severus who was slightly slumped in his chair.

"This is barbaric! How-how can he do this?"

"He took over the Ministry, he can do anything he wants and kill those who stand in their way," was the tired response she received.

"What of the punishment? Surely they can't do much more than give detentions,"

"They are Death Eaters, what do you think they are going to do? Detention isn't in their vocabulary,"

Hermione sunk into a chair with the letter hanging limply in her fingers. She studied Severus closely, noticing that he was making a point of avoiding her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"What can we do?"

Hermione swallowed deeply. They were trapped. Either punish people in inhumane ways, or die trying to resist, which in turn would end Harry's chance at winning the war.

She stood up and tossed the letter back on his desk in disgust.

"It's horrible,"

Severus nodded and sat back in his chair with closed eyes.

"You should sleep," she mentioned, seeing the dark circles under his eyes.

His lip switched slightly as he eyes peeled open.

"Are you giving the orders now?" he asked with an amused smirk.

"No, it's just that you look like death,"

He rolled his eyes and stood before heading to the doors.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To my chambers. I've spent too much time in this room today as it is; you can have the room here,"

Before she could say anything the door closed with a soft thud. Here? She was to sleep here? Why couldn't they just stay together? She didn't want to be by herself here, not now, not when everything seemed so dead. Why was he so keen to have them stay apart?

Hermione found the bedroom, and found that her stuff had been sent from Spinner's End and was arranged in the room already. She quickly got ready for bed, and slipped between the clean smelling sheets.

Sleep was eager to avoid her. After hours of tossing, turning, and jumping at every sound, Hermione pulled on her bathrobe, grabbed her wand, and left the room.

The halls were more eerie than she ever remembered them to be. They held a certain beauty to it, but it was twisted and warped by the memories that stained the stone. Shuttering slightly, Hermione quickened her steps down the familiar stone stairs into the chilly hallways of the dungeon.

The last time she had come this way, Severus had come back from one of his meetings, the owner of horrible injuries. She still remembered how to get into the room.

A wave of her wand and three taps of a nail later, the door containing a knight swung open, revealing the dark rooms to her unadjusted eyes. Feeling around, Hermione made her way through the sitting room and easily into the bedroom. Blinking quickly, she saw his body under the sheets to one side of the bed, so she silently made her way to the other side. Placing her wand down and sliding off her bathrobe, she slipped into bed, and Severus was immediately awake.

"What are you doing?" he hissed viciously at her after he slid his wand back under his pillow.

"I can't sleep," she said quietly, staring at him with wide eyes.

"So you thought you'd just sneak in here?"

"I didn't exactly have another place to go,"

"Remind me to change the wards in the morning," he said with a groan settling back down.

"I don't want to be alone up there,"

"There isn't anyone else here but staff,"

"Well, there was only the two of us at Spinner's End," she said wringing the sheets in her hand nervously.

She felt his fingers encircle her wrist lightly and she froze.

"I promised Albus that I would keep you safe, and I am making sure that you are. Before I left I warded your room,"

"But you also warded the house,"

"Those were basic wards; the ones around your room are more complicated,"

"I still don't like the idea of being left alone,"

A slight tug on her wrist made her sigh as she stretched out beside him, feeling his warmth in the sheets. Hermione wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in his arms so she could sleep.

"How do you think they're doing?" she suddenly asked into the darkness.

"Who?" he murmured.

"Harry and Ron,"

"I don't know, but Potter taking care of Weasley after his injury is a concerning thing,"

"Do you think they would have told me if things were going wrong?"

"Would you tell them?"

"No,"

Silence stretched on and Hermione was beginning to think that he had fallen asleep.

"I wish that you would tell me what Albus told you to do, I could find something to help you,"

"It's too dangerous to let anyone know,"

He sighed deeply and her fingers searched for his hand, which he allowed her to take.

"If I need help, I'll tell you,"

His only response was to give her hand a small squeeze, and the two fell asleep soon after, lost in their own thoughts of what the future was to bring.

The next morning Hermione was up early, though she didn't move from the bed and the warmth. Peeling her eyes opened, she immediately noticed that Severus was not in the room. She wished that he was just so she could be with him.

A sudden pop made Hermione jump until she saw two large eyes staring up at her from the side of her bed.

"Dobby?" Hermione asked beginning to smile.

"Master told Dobby that he was to bring Mistress breakfast when she woke up," he squeaked before placing a tray on the table in the living room.

Hermione followed him into the room smiling at her old friend.

"How have you been?" she asked, taking a seat while he began making tea.

"Very well, after Master Dumbledore was killed, all of the elves were upset, but Master Snape has been very kind to us all,"

"He has?" Hermione asked with wide eyes.

"Oh yes, he gave us very nice places to stay and doesn't overwork us, but some of us wish that we did have work to do. It is much better than Dobby's old master. Dobby is no longer punished for his actions,"

Hermione felt her chest swell. Severus was so kind to the elves, even after being in the presence of Lucius Malfoy for twenty years and being forced into the current situation.

"Where is Severus?" Hermione asked.

"I saw Master leave the castle this morning to walk around the lake,"

Hermione quickly ate and got dressed before slowly making her way from the room being sure that no one was in the hallway with her. As she passed some windows, her eyes strayed to the lake, where sure enough, she could easily spot his figure. Hermione stood there, fingers grasping the cold stone with the cool breeze ruffling her messy hair.

Severus didn't move, he simply stood there, staring out across the lake as the squid pulled itself back into the dark depths. Hermione felt sorry for him. For the past twenty years he has been forced to do things he didn't want to do, and now he was forced to work under the Dark Lord's orders.

Hermione knew that he cared about everyone in this school, even if he often acted the opposite. He didn't want them to be punished by the Carrows, he was the one who was responsible for them. She sighed deeply as he lowered himself to the ground, dropping his head into his hands.

Hermione instantly made her way down the stairs and to the entrance hall before entering the cold grounds. She spotted his form instantly and began trekking across the dew covered grass. If he had heard her coming, he made no move to pick himself up.

"You should come back inside, it's cold out here," she said quietly.

He turned his face away from her, so she sat beside him with a sigh.

"How do you do it?" she finally asked him as they watched the squid's tentacle break the surface for a moment.

"Do what?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"What you've been doing the past twenty years, I don't know how you've made it this far," she said.

"After a while you learn to shut yourself off from the world and your emotions," he mumbled.

Hermione wrapped her arms around his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's not fair to you,"

"Life isn't fair,"

Hermione shivered and pulled herself closer to his warmth. She just wanted to hug him, kiss him, and tell him that she loved him. Hermione finally allowed herself to think the words in her head. She was in love with Severus Snape, and nothing in this world could change that. If he never knew it, Hermione would be fine with that, as long as she could stay with him throughout the war and support him when things became tough.

His body suddenly went tense and she lifted her head.

"What?"

"The Carrows," he grounded out through his teeth.

Hermione looked up in the sky and saw two balls of black smoke barreling towards them. Severus jumped up and pulled her along with him.

"They can't see you,"

"Why not? Don't they already know?"

"Regardless if they do or not, Amycus will stop at nothing, even orders from the Dark Lord. He has a rather large hatred towards…those who are not purebloods,"

"Mudbloods," she said, seeing that he winced at the words.

"Yes," Severus replied tearing his eyes away from her face and back towards the sky.

Without another word, he pulled his wand out and pointed it at her causing her to recoil slightly. A warmth suddenly washed over her and she noticed that she was suddenly invisible.

"Get back to the castle, immediately. Go to my chambers, not my office," he whispered quickly to her.

"Be careful," she blurted out.

A small smile graced his features before it was suddenly gone.

"Go, before they get here,"