"Well, perhaps you should get on with it, Hermione. I have a particular disdain for waiting, in general." Severus managed when the witch remained silent even as he waited for her to speak. A bright smile lit her face as her eyes shot up to his, it was the first time since her entrance that she'd smiled at him in such a manner.

It never failed to take his breath away.

"I know that about you." She put her hand on the wood of his desk, his eyes flicked down to it, an invitation?

He would not pass it up. His own covered hers, his fingers grasping her small hand in an embrace.

"Do you? I would imagine, after many years as my student you would be quite aware of my patience- or lack thereof." Hermione bit her lip and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're making this difficult on purpose, git." She grumbled and he couldn't help the smirk that crawled across his face.

"I suppose I can get nothing past you, Ms. Lupin." She dug her fingers into his palm and shook her head, wild curls bobbed around her face. He wanted to bury the fingers of his free hand in them.

Perhaps he should stop teasing her and find out what this was all about.

"What I mean, Severus, is that I feel like I've known you forever." Her eyes averted, her teeth gnawing her poor lip more adamantly. He could fight the urge no more, his free hand reached up and with his thumb popped the poor lip free, the witch gave a little gasp, her eyes closed.
"I…" She paused, gulped, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. The amber depths burned into his, right into his soul as she stared at him with an intensity he could scarcely recall being faced with.
"I have dreams, about you, about us."

He swore his breath stopped in his chest, his heart ceased to beat and his stomach turned to lead.

"Dreams?" He managed to exhale, his voice deeper than he'd ever heard it, even to his own ears. He pulled himself from his chair, his black eyes searching hers as he came down to his knees in front of her, his free hand grasping her own. He looked up into her face, his stomach in knots.

"I, well, yes. Dreams, fantasies maybe? I know, about my past I mean. I know about the things that happened in a different timeline, about going back to the past, I can remember flashes, flashes of that time, the one I came from, and the one I came to." She wet her lips, Severus could barely see straight, his hands trembled around hers.

Was it truly possible?

"What happens in these dreams, Hermione?" His voice was low, husky, and she took a shuddering breath. These were things she'd never managed to tell anyone, not ever. She was almost ashamed of the nature of some of her dreams.

Should she tell him?

She certainly wanted to.

"You and I, we're together." A flash in her mind's eye, the man's lean body moving over her, his lips latched to hers, her moans breaking from their intense kiss to fill the room.
"We're…" She trailed, looked away.

His hand broke free of hers and tipped her face, black eyes boring into hers, he wet his own lips, trying to slow his rioting heart.

She remembered? She just didn't know it was a memory! He could shout his joy.

A rumbling broke through the castle and Severus' head shot up, the reverberating of the stone floor rocketing through his knees and straight into his bones.

"What was that?" Hermione shot up, her eyes on the door to his chambers.

"I don't know, stay here." He stood, his black eyes raking over her one last time. They would have to pursue this conversation later.

"Severus!" The door to his chambers flung open, Remus stood there, looking completely lost. "Oh thank Merlin!" He spotted Hermione and dashed into the room, taking her in his arms much to the dismay of both parties.
"Gryffindor tower was attacked, when you weren't in your dorm we thought you were there with Ginny." He grasped her face, eyes boring into hers after he finally released the hug. Severus growled low in his throat.

"It's fortunate the students have already gone for the Holidays, Harry, Rose, and Fern left this afternoon for the Potter's." Severus crossed his arms, his black eyes darting between Lupin and Hermione.

"Ginny! Ginny stayed, and Ron! Were they okay?" She looked frantic, her amber eyes wide and Severus wanted to wrap her in his own arms, Remus held her fast however, her head fell to his chest.

Not yet, soon. Soon.

He was certain she remembered.

"Ron is unconscious in the infirmary. Ginny…" Remus gulped, Hermione pulled away from him completely, amber eyes were burning into him. Her mouth was pulled into a grim line.

"What about Ginny?"

"She's not here, we haven't been able to find her anywhere, the Headmaster, as well as the rest of the remaining staff and of course myself, well, Hermione…" He trailed, Severus helped guide her back into a seated position, her knees were trembling, making her entire body shake.

"You believe she's been taken?"

"By who?!" Hermione gasped, a hand over her mouth, Severus could stop himself no more, he knelt beside her and put an arm around her shoulders, her eyes were closed, he could see drops of moisture just beginning to fall.

"We believe it was a Death Eater attack, we think they were looking for you." Hermione sobbed, her shoulders shook and Severus took a deep breath.

"She will be fine, Hermione. I swear to you, we will find her."

Her eyes snapped open, amber depths flashing.

"I'm going to kill Lucius Malfoy." It was then, for the first time in as long as Severus could remember he saw the Hermione he'd known, the one hardened by war. The one who would do anything to protect those she loved, she burned out from amber depths, it wasn't relief he felt though, instead it was a gnawing pain that all she'd gone through to achieve a different, peaceful future had been in vain.

Still they were under threat.

Still muggleborn witches and wizards were being persecuted.

He could only rub her shoulder with a large hand as he stared at the side of her head and mutter words of assurance.

"She will be fine, she will be okay."

SSHG

Ginevra Weasley was not a soft witch, she was not a witch born to a family of blood touting bastards, and she was certainly not sheltered.

No, coming from a family of all boys, all of whom were older than herself she'd had her fair share of self-defense lessons.

So why was it she was allowing herself to be toted away? She couldn't quite understand the train of thought she was experiencing. She could have very easily hexed the skin from Lucius Malfoy's pretty face.

But she didn't, no instead she was slung over his shoulder and trying to take deep breaths.

She knew Hermione must be worried sick, she hoped Ron was okay, and she was glad the Potters had left early in the evening, going home for the Holidays.

"I can't breathe, brute." She grunted and he bounced her on his shoulder with a dark chuckle.

"Better, princess?"

"You should be ashamed of yourself, attacking a school full of children." She couldn't see his face but it was as if his entire body radiated his smug smirk, she could simply sense it.

"I am well aware there were very few children present at the time of our assault, Ms. Weasley, do try again."

"Where are you taking me?" She let her arms hang limply down his back, her hands balling into fists intermittently.

"We're going to ransom you, I believe. My sister in law is quite mad, she believes the mudblood will come to us if we dangle you from the proverbial window." His voice was soft, melodic and calm. Ginny tugged a thick bunch of long silvery blonde hair.

"Don't call her that, bastard."

His hand smacked down on her bum and she screeched, her legs kicking wildly.

"You should not dare to presume that you may cause me physical pain, in any capacity." In response to his cold tone Ginny slammed her hand down into his back, hard.

"You're lucky I haven't beat the hell out of you, you're nothing but a privileged, weak, condescending male." She huffed, slamming her fist into his back again.

He huffed a breath, his back aching where she hit him. The witch quite the strength behind her little fist, for one so small.

"Do stop being so difficult, I could easily knock you out, or do you forget you are without a wand?" She pulled his hair again and he growled.

"You wouldn't, I'm not sure why, but you would have already if you were going to." She bit snidely, Lucius smacked her backside again and she kicked- again, hoping to land a well-placed kick with a pointed shoe right into his groin.

No such luck, however, he was far too tall and her legs were not at the right angle.

"Impertinent witch, stop this struggling nonsense or I will feed you to Bellatrix."

"Not scared." She kicked again and he grunted in response.

"As soon as we are off these grounds we will be apparating, you will cooperate or you will suffer my wrath."

"Still not scared." She huffed, arms crossed as she allowed herself to go limp once more.

For all her talk she was actually quite concerned.

She hoped they wouldn't torture her, she gulped, no, that would be bad.

"If you will cooperate you have nothing to fear, Ginevra." He exhaled, his arm that gripped her around her waist holding tighter. It felt like a strange hug and she wrinkled her nose.

"If you will cooperate you have nothing to fear…" She mimicked in a high-pitched voice, her face contorted, arms still crossed.

"Petulant child."

"You have no bloody idea, and I'm not a child, old man."

"I am hardly an old man." He huffed, Ginny tugged his hair again and he gave a low snarl.
"You are trying my patience."

"You are trying my patience."

"Stop this, this instant."

"Give me my wand and I'll stop it all. You won't ever open your eyes again." She huffed, tugged at his hair again and screeched at the smack to her bum.
"Stop that!"

"I, for some reason, highly doubt you will hurt me, perhaps it is my years of experience over your own."

"I reiterate, old man." Lucius huffed and dropped the witch to her feet, they'd reached the apparition point and her stomach flipped.

Shite, this was really happening? Bloody hell how was she going to get herself out of this.

She tried to take off running but he caught her by the arm and tugged her into his chest, caging her with long arms.

Her stomach flipped and she was certain she would vomit as they spun in place, dissaparating with a loud 'pop'.