Hermione wasn't sure how long she laid with her back to the wall crying torrents of tears. Her nose was completely stuffed by now and her head was pulsing worse than when Snape had been inside it. She was so tired, beyond depleted. Her entire body shivered from the sheer amount of emotion she had released and yet still she could not find rest.

A deep sniffle and an absent wipe to her nose gave her enough courage to turn around to look at the wall. It was sealed again, there was no marking left behind from where they'd made the hole. She was almost starting to wonder if she'd dreamed the entire encounter. How many days did one have to go without rest to actually start hallucinating? She wasn't sure, but she knew she'd been able to catch some sleep here and there. Possibly enough to stave off hallucination by sleep deprivation.

Another sniffle rolled her onto her back and a deep breath brought her hands down to wrap around her chest. The room felt infinitely smaller than it ever had. The silence exceptionally louder than she'd ever noticed before. It was like her brain was both mentally exhausted but hyper-aware. She needed to do something if she was going to sleep.

As carefully as she could, she pushed herself up to sit on the edge of her bed. A shaky hand through her pulled back hair calmed her nerves, if only just. She pulled the braid from around her shoulder and slowly made work of releasing it from its confines. When it was finally free she gave the mass a heavy shake before turning her red-rimmed eyes towards the closet door.

Could she even go through it? Had he charmed it locked? She wasn't sure why she was even contemplating going into the other's room but she knew she couldn't stay where she was. If nothing else she could curl up into one of the chairs by the fire and hope that he didn't see her.

She grabbed her blanket as an afterthought and came to her feet. She wrapped the material around her shoulders trying to imagine that it was a warm hug. She had never been one for coddling but in that moment she wanted nothing else than to curl up in someone's arms and just cry herself to sleep. The thought only brought more pain to her already aching heart when the memory of her mother doing just that, came to the front of her mind.

She'd never felt so alone in her entire life. There had always been someone there. Whether in the dormatories at school or during her time on the run. Someone was there. She'd never realized how much strength she pulled from just being around other people until now.

Her hand trembled lightly when she took hold of the handle. Nothing immediately happened to her so, she took the chance. The catch coming from its place seemed to echo through her. When she finally managed the courage to push the door open she felt a sort of pressure inside her mind release.

The first few steps into the closet felt like a hundred year journey. The door at the other end was open and a soft light was pouring through. Her heart skipped a little with the possibility that he was still awake but she didn't stop in her quest. When her hand pressed against the cracked door she paused trying to make herself not looked like a drowned kitten.

She sniffled again and wiped at her eyes with the end of the blanket trying to give herself a modericum of decorium. A heavy breath filled her chest and she managed to push through into the room.

Her eyes ran over the space finding him not by the fire or at the desk in the far corner. As she turned her head towards the raised bed she felt a different sort of pounding in her heart.

He was in bed. His head was turned away from her and the blankets were around his waist. Even through the dim light, she could clearly make out the steady rise and fall of his bare back. One of his arms was up near his head, tucked under the pillow while the other rested down by his side. She didn't know why but the position felt indlcredibly exposed.

Another small sniffle turned her head away and towards the chairs by the fire that had long since gone out. What she hadn't realized was her soft noise had jump started the man on the bed. It wasn't until the sudden flash in the corner of her eye caught her attention did she realize she'd woken him.

His body was turned awkwardly towards her. The hand that had been under his pillow now brandished his wand in her direction.

"Miss Granger...?"

Hermiome didn't dare to move but she did notice that he seemed to be having trouble keeping his focus. His voice was thick and partially slurred and his eyes were narrowed. He was blinking rapidly as though he couldn't see her clearly. Deciding not to tease the snake, she took a breath to speak.

"Could I...sleep with you?" As soon as the whispered words left her mouth she realized how unbelievably inappropriate they sounded, though the look on his face was well worth the slip-up, "That is..."

Her words faded out as his wand lowered down. He sort of swayed a little as if his body was too heavy to control. His face was an unmasked array of confusion before he turned even further to pull back the blanket on the empty side of the bed. After that task was completed he gave her a sort of dreamy stare before he seemed to lose what little control he had on his limbs. He sort of rolled back into the pillow and turned his head with a small groan before moving back onto his side.

Hermione wasn't sure what sort of answer that was or even why her feet were moving her closer. It wasn't until she was standing beside the bed looking down at the wand pressed between the mattress and his back did she even register what she'd done.

Her eyes landed on the ebony and for a split second, she felt a small surge of adrenaline. She could take his wand, lower his wards, and escape. The thought, however, came and went so abruptly she wasn't even sure she'd thought about it at all.

Her knee pressed down cautiously into the top of the mattress as though she were waiting for him to change his mind. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself thankful when he didn't even so much as sigh. The bed was easily big enough for two and he was lying on the far end. She wouldn't even have to touch him. She knew this wasn't the first time she had shared his bed but it was the first time she'd willing sought out his presence. That knowledge alone made everything feel different.

Keeping her own blanket wrapped around her, she lowered herself down as gracefully as she could manage. Her emotional upheaval had left her with very low processing power. As soon as her body relaxed down onto the mattress she could feel her tear-stained eyes starting to droop.

With one last adjustment, she pulled his blanket up over hers, if only to make sure it didn't expose him any more than he already was. Her head rested down on the pillow and her eyes lost focus as they watched the slow rise and fall of his turned back.

oOo

Elsewhere in the castle, three others were trying their best to find their peace. Wrapped in each other's arms seeking comfort that could not be found.

Luna laid with her back pressed against Neville's chest, her head resting on his arm. His other held her waist, his fingers entwined with hers as she kept him in place. Ginny laid behind him, her back pressed against his seeking the warmth that his body provided, a pillow curled in her arms as her dreams took her far away and into another's bed.

The three of them had retreated back to the Room of Requirement to find that it had provided them with a safe place to rest. Initially having taken to the cots that had been provided; all three of them had moved one by one to the center of the room, where a large pit of pillows and other blankets had been arranged in an interesting and strangely convenient pit that created a wonderfully soft mass.

Neville was the only one left awake, his mind turning over the message Hermione had given them. They needed to take it to Harry and Ron, he was sure if it. Though he didn't completely understand what had been written he was sure it was meant for them. It had been far too late for them to pass on the message, but as soon as the sun rose he was going to make sure it got to Harry and Ron.

Even with his plan in place, he found himself unable to fully let himself go to sleep. His tired eyes opened slowly to look down at Luna. She was resting peacefully on his arm. It brought a warmth inside his heart to know that his presence brought her comfort.

She had actually invited him to lay down beside her in the pillows. He'd been so nervous at first but when she guided him where she'd wanted him and laid down against him, he had felt at home.

He smiled ever just so and lightly ran the side of his thumb along the back of her hand. She hadn't made a single move since she'd closed her eyes. Even when Ginny had come to join them. She had stayed just as she was, curled perfectly against him.

A soft sigh closed his eyes and he pressed his lips to the top of her head. Her smell, light jasmine, and strawberries relaxed him further and he was finally able to let his mind go quiet.

oOOo

Snape woke to the irritating sound of his charm. A deep groan turned his head and a wave of his fingers silenced the infuriating noise. He was just about to reset the charm to a more human hour when he realized, he wasn't alone.

His eyes snapped open instantly, narrowing to the bright light of morning. When his vision cleared he was sure he had to be dreaming. His eyes told him that he was staring into the sleeping face of the girl meant to be locked away. His brain couldn't even process her name as it struggled to come out of its potioned induced haze. It came three seconds later and he found himself at a loss of what to do.

She wasn't too close but she had definitely moved past the invisible line that bifercated the sleeping space. Her head was tucked down into the arms that were crossed over her chest, her fingers curled tightly into the blanket she had brought with her. Her knees were bent but not tightly curled, the bottom of her foot just barely six inches away from his side.

His hand curled under the pillow beneath his head and his heart skipped. His wand wasn't where it should have been. Another sharp turn jostled the bed and he rolled over to feel the wood fall against his stomach. The sharp movement distrubed the girl beside him and he went still as she started to move.

Her legs slowly uncurled and her body rocked forward filling more of the space between them. Her crossed arms shifted higher beneath her chin and her head nuzzled down to the edge of the pillow. She let out a heavy sigh through her nose as her hips adjusted to lay her flat on her stomach.

Snape swallowed thickly, a deep breath of his own cleared his heavy head. A soft groan put him back on his back and the weight in his skull only increased. With his wand now back in hand he brought his hands up to press the heels of his palms into his eyes. He simply didn't have the emotional processing power to even understand what was going through his mind at the moment. He knew he needed to get up, but his body just wasn't having any of it.

He let his hands come back heavily to his sides before resetting the alarm for 7 am. It would do him no favors to attempt to work on anything if he couldn't even process what to do about the girl in his bed. A small shift placed his wand back under his pillow and a heavy sigh closed his eyes. He pulled the blanket from his waist to rest on his chest before turning his head away from hers.

Sometime before the charm set to wake him went off Snape was woken by an odd pressure against his arm. His brain cooperated more fully this time as it was no longer under the influence of his potion. It quickly discerned that the pressure was being created by a body pressing against him.

Much more gracefully this time, he opened his eyes and turned his head. Granger had slowly worked her way over the entire expanse of the bed during her sleep. It was a marvel really. He could tell she'd started on the far end because she'd pulled the comforter with her as she'd moved.

Her forehead was just barely touching the top of his bicep, her warm breath wafting through the blanket still wrapped tight around her frame and under her chin. He could feel her curled arms pressed against his own, also just barely there. Her legs had stretched down and now laid parallel to his own, the blanket she'd pulled along keeping them from actually touching.

The charm he'd set to wake him startled him from his observations and he quickly silenced it before it woke her. A carefully as he could, he pulled himself from the bed and onto his feet. Another cursory glance down told him that his movement had had no effect on her sleep and he let out a heavy sigh.

Turning away from the bed towards the bathroom he tried to reign in his wandering mind. He briefly remembered waking in the middle of the night but his mind had been too affected by the potion to form a clear memory. He could only guess that she had joined him at that time.

oOo

"Alright there Harry?" Molly pursed her lips helping the teen sit up in his bed. "You've been out for a quick minute, take it easy now..."

Harry groaned softly and shifted to her guiding hand. He felt loads better than he had yesterday. He was sure the potion they'd given him had knocked him back out.

"Ron...Luna?"

"Luna has returned to Hogwarts and Ron is still asleep." Molly pressed the back of her hand against his forehead and nodded to herself. "Take it easy now, can you get yourself to the shower or do you want some help?"

Harry rubbed his sleep heavy eyes before mumbling that he could manage. He felt Molly pull back and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He didn't feel all that bad, just extremely tired.

"What time is it...?"

"A little after 8. That's it, the sooner we get you moving the better you'll feel." Molly helped him to his feet keeping a hand on his back.

Just as they made it to the door the sound of heavy feet sounded on the stairs. Both Harry and Molly looked towarss the door before she left his side to open it. George was coming up the stairs with Neville tagging behind.

"Neville?" Harry moved himself closer feeling a bit light headed. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Free period. Besides...I have something that I needed to get to you immediately." He held up the folded paper coming around the railing. "It's from Hermione."

"Hermione? Did you get her out?"" Harry almost fell over trying to get closer, Molly caught him by the waist and helped steady him back on his feet. Neville closed the distance quickly handing over the letter.

"No, but we were able to talk to her through the wall..." Neville knew how time was short but he hoped he'd be able to return with something to tell the others.

"Is she alright?" Harry quickly unfolded the letter his brows furrowing.

"She's alive... if that counts for something... Snape had done something to her before we got there, we saw it in a mirror the room has given us..." Neville pursed his lips at Harry's confused face. The hope that her cryptic words, meant something to him, dying out fast.

"I'm a trap?" The sentence was boxed in and oddly written. With other odd shapes inside the rectangle. It was like she had tried to draw a picture with her words, the spacing and shape of the letters trying to form a picture he just wasn't able to understand. He looked up from the paper into Neville's equally worried face.

"We don't know either...I was hoping it would mean something to you..." Neville's watch beeped and he knew his time was up. "If you figure it out, please send word through the two-way parchment... We're all ready to help in any way we can..."

Harry nodded dumbly continuing to stare down at the paper. He was sure it meant something. He just wished he had half of Hermione's mind to sort it out.

oOo

Snape had managed to finish stocking his emergency potions kit by the time Hermione had begun to stir. He hadn't moved her at all from the bed and had even closed off the sides of the canopy to help her rest longer. He'd left the foot of the bed open so he could check on her at a glance but the thick cutains at the sides had provided more than enough sun blocking power.

He was slipping a vial into place inside the protected leather when her voice started to disturb his concentration. She had been quiet thus far, nothing aside from the soft sigh and minor adjustment. Now, however, her voice had taken on a pleading tone.

"Please... please don't do this..."

Snape's brow furrowed at her heart-rending plea. He glanced up from his desk, the vial he'd been preparing to fill paused in his grip.

"N-no..." She shifted from her side onto her back, her head turning sharply to the side while her arms that were still very much tangled in her own blanket struggled weakly against an invisible force.

Snape turned his eyes back down trying to ignore her growing volume. He narrowed his eyes, slipping the pipette into the larger vial of blood replenishing potion, making to transfer it into the specially designed vial from his kit. The next set of mumbled words made his heart grow tight.

"Master...Don't kill... my master... please..."

Snape sat down his pipette then, watching her struggles against the unseen dwindle. She turned her head into his pillow then, her body doing a very unusual arch as she attempted to possibly roll over. Snape watched her long enough to assure himself that she wasn't going to harm herself in her sleep before resuming his present task.

He slipped the vial into place next to ten others. It was something he always had but always feared having to use. A battlefield kit, an antique from the Great War, it held up to ten small test tube like vials inside a leather pouch that protected them from all harm. The protection spells over the case we're so complex that even he himself didn't truly understand their intricacies. As it was, it had been his first line of defense against the madman he now served. It had saved him on more than one occasion.

His task completed, he folded the leather over itself making the kit no larger than the length of his hand and slipped it into his inner coat pocket. A quick charm reclosed the buttons on his coat as he moved towards the bed that had gone quiet again.

He paused at the foot before going to the left to the side he normally would have laid on. Since growing closer he could still hear her mumbling under her breath but most of it was indicernable. With a furrowed brow and tight lips, he pushed back the curtains flooding her face with light. It had the immediate desired effect.

Hermione groaned as the bright light immediately snapped her from her dream space. She tried to close her eyes tighter and turn away but she was too tightly wrapped up in her blanket. The memory of her dream was fading fast but it left her heart a few beats faster than normal.

With a disoriented grunt, she rocked her head back and forth before finally peeking open her eyes. The first thing to register was black legs over the edge of deep cream sheets. She blinked slowly as her vision came into focus. Her body felt tired, but she wasn't in pain. Despite having slept she still felt emotionally drained.

She could feel the tears that had dried on her face and it only made her long for a nice hot shower. When she finally managed to turn her head up she looked directly into the eyes of her captor. Her breath caught for a moment before slowly releasing. He wasn't moving or speaking but she could tell he wanted her to get up.

With as much coordination as she could manage she started the laborious process of untangling herself from the blankets. When she finally managed to sit herself up she dared to look up at him again. She didn't know how pitiful she looked only that she was sure she did.

Snape did indeed notice, his jaw twitching slightly as he took in her rather pathetic appearance. Despite having gotten more sleep than him her eyes were still heavily sunkin in, deep circles of red and black rimmed her eyes and he could see the tears that had dried in the corners. He knew time was of the essence but he simply couldn't stand to look at her in such a state.

"Take a shower, I want you presentable. When you've finished knock on the office door before going to wait for me by the fire." With nothing else to say, he turned away and made his way to the office. He glanced back only briefly to make sure she heeded his command before stepping through.