"Some of you...have come to the conclusion that your...educational duties here in this school are not as important as...other matters."

Snape's voice filled the great all, even though it wasn't raised, his words crawled effortlessly through the crowd. A deadly reminder to all those present. He moved with silent grace through the rows of lined students. His sharp eyes looking into each of their down-turned faces.

"Under these..." His words lingered as he paused in front of Neville, half expecting the boy to keep his head bent low, his eyes narrowed only slightly when Neville raised his eyes to meet his own. "Circumstances..."

The boy's mind was a quick read, but it hadn't given him the information he had truly been searching for. His eyes snapped to the redhead beside him who was obviously fighting off the side-effects of a headache reducing potion. Her eyes met his with the same fiery passion the boy's had but there was a flicker in her thoughts, something that had happened recently. He caught a glimpse of what he'd been looking for before she turned her eyes away. It was a piece of the puzzle that he desperately needed.

"I have made the decision, that in order to protect the order of this school," He took a step outside of the Gryffindor row and into the next, his eyes surreptitiously seeking out a particular blond who was always a rather interesting read. "Every student will now be escorted in groups to their classes..."

His gaze actually met hers between two larger students. She was the only one in her row who was actually actively watching him. Her mind, normally a floaty mess was showing him exactly what he was looking for. It wasn't much, but it was enough. His back that had been as stiff as a rod twitched with the smallest hint of relief.

"With a prefect from another house..." He turned his eyes away turning his body up through the center aisle. He caught the look Minerva was giving him and his wand hand itched. If the information he had gathered from Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley was anything to go by, Hermione had indeed been rescued and the potion he'd slipped her had done exactly what he had meant it to do.

oOo

Hermione felt unbelievably heavy. Everything, even her hair, tingled with a residual pain that wasn't exactly excruciating but wasn't easy to ignore either. It sort of felt like the night after New Years when she'd definitely had way too much wine. She hadn't liked the feeling then and she most certainly didn't like the feeling now.

Her mouth felt oddly sticky and her throat dry. The pulse she felt with every heartbeat didn't help either. Her brain was just a swirling mass of color and distorted sounds. The entire previous day almost completely indiscernible. The last thing she remembered clearly was Snape's apprehensive eyes. He had definitely given her something, something to hold and something to drink. Something she was sure she should have recognized but just barely eluded her at present.

Trying to swallow she realized that something had been placed in her mouth. She made to lift her hand to pull it free but found resistance. Her eyes burned too much for her to want to open them so she turned her head to the side using the shift to push the mouthpiece free. As soon as she'd managed, she heard a rather muffled noise to her right.

A snarl grew over her face, the noise had disturbed her inner calm popping the small bubble she'd had around her consciousness. She didn't know why she was being bound. They felt tighter and more restrictive than before.

A fear spiked her heart rate when her brain registered the unfamiliar smell in the sheets below her. They smelled of the woods, earth, and something else. Lily, maybe? Whatever it was, it wasn't the smell that she had been conditioned to bring her peace.

"Hermione? Hey, it's okay...shh..." Remus had taken to guarding the teen against the boys. Sending them off to get showered and properly dressed for the day. He had taken the time between to continue reading the medical reports.

Everything he'd read had only made the stone in his stomach grow larger. He needed to do some research over half of what he'd read, even the medical report had had nothing in the notes about some of the spells cast but he was sure, something more was at play. Setting them aside, he shifted in the chair to get closer but was mindful not to touch her.

"Mmm...?" Her head rolled towards his voice but she didn't open her eyes straight away. She gave a small tug on the binds at her wrists. Her request was clear enough to whoever was talking to her and she relaxed substantially when she felt one of her wrists being released.

Bringing the heavy limb up, she winced when she accidentally smacked herself in the face before finding the coordination to rub her irritated eyes. The person beside her went quiet but she could smell their cologne. Snape didn't wear cologne. This information didn't ease her worried heart. Had she been taken by another? Why hadn't he come back for her? Was he dead? Was the war over? Had they lost?

This growing anxiety forced her to open her eyes. She kept her hand up by her head, trying to block some of the light that came from somewhere overhead. Her eyes took some time to come into focus but when they did her heart skipped a beat before her brow filled with confusion.

"Pro...ffessor Lupin?" Her voice hurt her own ears and her lips curled up.

Lupin's own heart released when she called him by title. He offered her a small smile though he resisted the urge to reach out and take her hand. "Yes, it's me...How...How do you feel?"

Hermione gave him a confused look before turning her head away from him. She had to be dreaming. Hallucinating or caught in a mental trap of some sort. Her brain ground against itself as she tried to remember more. She could feel a lapse in time, but it wasn't the same as before. More like, she had been under the influence of something during the time she'd lost.

A heavy sigh and a grimace was his answer and he frowned. Slowly coming up to his feet, he leaned over her carefully. He released her other wrist before leaning back to release the strap over her chest. He wanted to earn her trust, but he was sure his words weren't going to be enough. He could tell that she was in pain and turned to give her one of the pain potions he'd brought from downstairs.

"Hermione? Do you think you can swallow this?" Remus leaned closer to her head.

Hermione's eyes narrowed when she saw the vial. A small voice in her head told her not to drink it and she listened. She turned her head away brushing the vial away. "Water..." She needed to think, she needed quiet. She needed her head to stop beating like a bass drum.

Remus frowned but didn't press the issue. He couldn't really blame her, after seeing the numerous unknown potions in her report, he was just happy she was even conscious at all. He set the vial down before conjuring a glass and filled it with water. He set it on the dresser within her line of vision before shifting his stance.

"Can I help you sit up?" He didn't want to touch her without her expressed permission given her initial reaction to his touch.

Hermione covered her eyes again, taking a slow breath. She had to trust what was in front of her, even if only for the moment. Her brain was barely taking in information. As soon as she would try to cerebrate on it, it would float away.

She nodded her head slightly pulling her hand down from her face. Her eyes remained mostly closed but she took the time to take in his features. He looked real, a bit haggard around the chin, a small beard growing around his jaw. His eyes were as gentle as she'd remembered them to be.

Remus leaned down pulling a few pillows from the foot of the bed and pulled them beside her, "Here we go..." He took her trembling hand in his, holding it tight letting her use him as a way to pull herself forward. Her entire arm shook with the effort she put forth and he hurried in placing the pillows behind her back.

Once she felt them in place, she let herself relax back and closed her eyes again pulling her hand from his to curl into the shirt over her chest. Her eyes opened when she felt something cool press against her lips and she reached up to take the glass. She smelled it first glancing over at him for a brief second before taking a small sip. She couldn't taste nor smell anything added to it so against her wavering judgment, she took a full drink.

The water felt like heaven against her burning throat, it eased off some of the pounding in her skull as well. Her hand, however, was still too weak to hold onto it for too long. She let out a small noise when the glass threatened to tumble down her chest. Thankfully, Remus caught it before it could spill over and slowly set it aside.

"Hermione I know...that you've been given a lot of potions but...if you're in pain..."

Hermione turned her eyes up towards his with a furrow on her brow. She wasn't truly in pain, not exactly. It was odd really. She just felt fatigued, like she'd run a thousand mile marathon, underwater, with a backpack that weighed 100 kilos. It was similar to when she woke up in the room before, after her seizures...Was she having them again? The memories were still too out of order to really put into a linear context but between her fugue-self and her real-self, she was able to understand some of what she was feeling at present. It had to have been seizures... How had he made them go away before? Had he given something? She couldn't recall.

"Hermione?" Remus had become worried at the far-off look that she had taken. His hand reached out against his better judgment and tried to take the hand that hovered in place below her chin. As soon as his fingers brushed against hers she jerked back curling it into her shirt. He tried not to let his emotion show and only held his hand palm up as a show of apology.

"Don't..." Her eyes turned away from his, though he looked remorseful she couldn't trust him. There was something pressing into her mind, something that surely hadn't been there before. A lingering presence. She blinked her eyes trying to get his face back into focus. She had just about succeeded when the door to the room came open turning his head away from her.

"Hey Lupin, Mom wants to know-" Ron was still wet from his shower, his hair hanging down a bit around his face. He was wearing an old sweater and jeans and looked a bit worse for wear. Though when his eyes saw Hermione sitting up in the bed, they instantly lit with a fire that hadn't been seen in days.

"Hermione...you're awake!" A goofy smile fell over his lips and his heart fluttered with happiness.

Hermione turned her head to try and see him clearly. His voice was familiar, she could feel it in her heart. She wanted so desperately to believe what her mind was telling her to be true. As he came closer and she was able to make out his goofy crooked smile. Her heart fluttered with the possibility that this was real. That she was safe.

Remus pursed his lips to the conflict on her face, she'd recognized him but the elation he had been expecting when she saw Ron just simply wasn't there. He moved aside to let the teen get closer but was ready to intervene if necessary.

"Oh, Hermione we've been so worried about you...Do you remember us...? Do you remember me?" Ron bent down beside the bed curling his fingers into the sheets to stop himself from pulling her into a fierce hug. He still remembered the way she had been the night before but he wanted to hope, beyond reason, that it had all been a dream. That she really was back with them now.

Hermione couldn't process anything. Every time she'd try, her mind would just center back around to a singular thought. It had cleared enough to tell her what she wanted, rather what she needed. Her eyes turned down looking at the bag still tucked into her side. Her vision was still tilted but the vertigo was starting to fade away. She pulled her hand from her chest down to the bag closing her hand around it.

Ron's heart beat somewhere near his feet when she didn't answer him. His head turned down watching her take hold of the bag. Did she know he'd looked inside? He leaned back on his heels turning his face to Remus who shared his sorrow.

With all the strength inside her, she pulled the bag onto her lap. She took a moment to gather her wits before pushing open the top. She ignored the two who stood beside her now and focused on trying to read the labels. They were in code, a code she easily remembered. It was her own, she'd used it when she would work on things in secret. At least partially, there were some mistakes in the lettering but it was easy enough to sort out.

She pulled out the one Ron had examined during the night. The silver liquid glowed in her palm and her brow twitched. She could see the measurement marks on the side and started to understand just what he'd done. It was the entire assortment of every modified potion he had given her to make her well. She wasn't sure exactly how she knew but it was the only thing in her heart that beat 100% true.

"Bloody bastard..." A smile ticked at the corner of her lip and before the other two could even get over the shock of her words, she raised the vial to her lips taking a measured drink. As soon as the liquid fell onto her tongue her brain sparked to life. The haze she had felt trapped in disappeared like the darkness retreating to the flip of a light switch.

She instantly understood everything that had and was happening to her. He'd drugged her, plain and simple. He'd turned the brightest witch of Hogwarts into a stoned mess. Cutting off her ability to critically think about anything and left her with only the subconscious message that she needed to drink the potion he'd left for her. It was brilliant and equally infuriating.

It was in the next moment that she realized why he'd measured out the doses. A sharp cry passed her lips when the migraine hit. Her thumb that had kept the plunger open on the vial released sealing it closed again. Her eyes closed so tight and she dropped the potion into her lap, bringing up her hands to hold her head, as she rode the wave. Her stomach threatened to turn itself inside out but she clenched her jaw tight to keep everything from coming up.

Remus and Ron were beside themselves on what to do. Their raised voices only adding to the pain threatening to make her skull explode. When the first wave calmed she was able to make out Ron's raised voice. Her hand reached out blindly before she cracked open an eye. When she finally managed to take hold of the bottom of his shirt she gave it a rather impressive pull gathering his attention instantly.

"Ron..." She winced at the sound of her own voice again but swallowed down the feeling, "For the love of Merlin..." She took another slow breath, turning her eyes up to his gobsmacked face, "Shut. Up..."

oOo

Snape watched the hall filter out. Each assigned group moving with military precision. His eyes lingered over the three he'd seen mere hours before, in much different circumstances. The two Gryffindors held their chins up and their lips terse. He knew his fight against them was far from over.

When his eyes landed on the blond of their little group his frown deepened. She was moving much slower than her peers and she was trying to surreptitiously hold her right arm. He knew she was far from capable of lasting the day without potions. She'd be lucky to make it to lunch without some sort of medical attention. Her slow pace was also attracting the attention of someone he very much knew would only prolong her healing process.

A small delve into the man's intentions made his stomach nearly turn inside out. An anger dangerously hidden behind layers and layers of self-discipline threatened to explode out and take half of the great hall with it. She was a child.

The decision to intervene was no longer a question in his mind as he moved between McGonagall and Septima to get to the girl. He caught a strong fear and a deep anger when he passed but he wasn't focused enough of either of them to tell from which came what.

"Miss Lovegood." Snape's voice stopped her and the rest of her group in their tracks. A sharp glare to Alecto stopped him from grabbing hold of Luna though he did linger, "Your request to see Madame Pomphry has been approved. I will be escorting you personally, as the new rule requires all students to be accompanied by a superior."

The girl played her part well, her face remaining aloof, "That's wonderful to hear Professor."

"I can take care of this small matter for you, Headmaster."

Alecto made to take her arm again but Snape's hand curled around the girl's good shoulder making her step closer to him. He gave Alecto a sneering look before forcing himself to stay calm.

"Don't you have classes to teach, Professor?" Snape's voice could have frozen the Black Lake.

He didn't wait for a response, turning on his heel. He kept her close, his eyes narrowing as he saw Minerva making a worried beeline for him. "She will be returned to your group by lunch. Until then, I will take responsibility for her whereabouts." He barely lingered in addressing the Gryffindor prefect he'd assigned to the group. His eyes tracking Minerva's progress from the corner.

Luna kept her head down but she did make eye contact with Neville, slightly shaking her head for him not to interpose. She didn't believe Snape was going to hurt her, she thought—quite correctly—that he was actually doing her a service. Her thoughts and feelings over the entire Hermione situation were leading her feet and her heart in trusting the sorely misunderstood man.

Minerva made to block their path near the doors and Snape couldn't keep the snarl off his face. The amount of anger wafting off of the witch would have made any lesser man cower in fear—but not him. He had knelt by the devil's side and knew the power of true fury.

"Don't you have classes to teach?"

"Severus..."

He didn't pause in his steps. The girl at his side did shift slightly to look back and he spared a glance down. Unfortunately, he couldn't see what she had done to make Minerva give up her chase so easily. His eyes turned back in front as he led her briskly through the halls past the other students. He could already feel their whispers clouding his thoughts and had to shut himself off completely not to feel their loathing.