Chapter Five

"Professor, look!"

Severus lifted his eyes upward, where a set of white wings curved against the dark red sky. He held his wand a little tighter as Hermione flipped head over heels several times, shrieking happily.

"Bloody fool…" Severus muttered as her balance wobbled slightly before she straightened herself out.

"This, too!"

She dove straight downward toward the ground and Severus jumped off the rock he had been sitting on. She pulled out of the dive at the last minute and set her feet lightly on the dirt.

"Idiot girl—" he began angrily.

"Oh, Professor, don't worry your little heart out for me," Hermione said happily, moving her wings so they expanded out behind her.

Severus' eye twitched in revulsion at the mention of his heart. As far as he knew, he didn't have one.

"The sun's beginning to come up now; we should head back," she said, biting her lip regretfully. They had come out early at her request and Severus nodded his affirmation silently.

"You go up alone. We don't want to risk being seen together," he said as he handed her cloak back. She retracted her wings, painlessly now, and welcomed the warmth around her shoulders.

"Bye," she smiled and then turned to start pulling herself up the ridge. Severus watched his eluvia go for a second and then walked briskly in the other direction, intending to circle about and come from a different direction.

Hermione's cheeks were flushed when she reached the top and started walking around the lake, but not from the effort. She always did find herself mind-numbingly happy after she flew. It was certainly a relief after what happened with the curse a few days before.

By the time she reached the other side of the lake, the sun had fully risen and shined off the water into her hair. Harry was waiting there, as she knew he would because she told him where she was going that morning.

"Good morning," she called.

"Morning, you," he smiled and suddenly pulled a hat over her head. "You're going to get sick flying around in the cold like that. Hurry up, Transfiguration starts soon."

"Thanks, Harry."

They trudged through the dew-soaked grass to the school past a group of nervous looking third years on their way to Care of Magical Creatures.

"I'll bet Hagrid's got more Blast-Ended Skrewts," Harry joked and Hermione laughed in agreement. Then she cut herself short because Ron was waiting by the stairs, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Hello," Hermione said quietly.

"Hey," Ron replied, looking at Harry, who gave him a nod of encouragement. "Listen, I—"

"Professor Dumbledore can't see you; make an appointment next time," someone growled as the door to the school eased open. Hermione, Ron, and Harry looked around in shock.

Professor Scorne was holding the door open, his eyes fixed on a tall blonde man with a walking cane. Lucius Malfoy eyed him as he came out into the brisk morning. Draco was right on his father's heels like a dog.

"Look who it is," Lucius said, suddenly stopping and fixing his gaze on Hermione. His eyes traveled over her hair and golden glare quickly. She had a sudden feeling that he never came to see Dumbledore.

"Miss Granger," Professor Scorne said shortly. She shifted her eyes to him and took a quick note of his expression. She could tell that the professor knew what she was; Dumbledore had told them already. "Please go inside."

Hermione started to move as she was told but Lucius moved his cane in front of her.

"Now what is this peculiar change that's come over you?" he said, almost purring his words as if he might hypnotize her into answering. Hermione eyed him warily.

"I was cursed," she said instantly.

"Oh, I somehow doubt that," he smiled predatorily.

"Mr. Malfoy, please move so my student can go inside," Professor Scorne said firmly, pulling out his wand. Hermione could vaguely see Draco moving behind his father.

"Of course, no need to fight, Professor," Lucius said gently and removed the cane from her path. Hermione lowered her eyes as she began to hurry past Lucius, but by the time she reached his son, she heard Draco whisper something harshly.

There was a yelp of terror and Hermione spun around. Harry looked up at the sky, at her, and then up again.

Ron was a speck in the sky, high over the castle now. Hermione gasped in fear.

"Save him!" she shrieked, looking around at the adults. She and Harry, although her friend had already released his wand, knew nothing that would help Ron. Lucius was smiling very eerily at her. "Professor!"

Professor Scorne was waving his wand already.

"He's too far away for my magic," he said through gritted teeth.

"You save him," Lucius said softly, still smiling at her. She could see Ron falling from hundreds of feet above now, towards the Forbidden Forest. Time seemed to slow. Harry was still trying to think of something to save Ron. He summoned his broom but Hermione knew that wouldn't be fast enough. Lucius and Draco did nothing but look at her expectantly.

"No! Stop!" her professor said to her roughly.

Hermione looked to her side, away from the school and saw Severus. She watched him look at her confusedly and then look toward the sky. Then he started to shake his head. Ron was nearing the tree tops.

Time sped up. Hermione was already running down the steps and across the lawn. There was nothing else to do; she wouldn't let Ron die.

Her wings released from her body with a loud whooshing sound and she lifted into the air quickly, flying faster than she ever had. She passed over the head of Severus, who was looking up at her in a rage, but Hermione's eyes were fixed on her red-headed friend. She imagined that to anyone below, she just looked like a blur across the sky.

"Hold on!" she breathed, pushing her body hard. Ron flipped in the air and saw Hermione, his arms reaching out. Her body collided with his hard, too hard. Hermione flapped her wings once to interrupt the fall but then they both crashed into the forest. Pain came in lashes as the two bounced off branches until the final breath-wrenching blow came when they skidded across the ground, their arms and legs still wrapped tightly around each other.

"Hermione?" Ron murmured after they stopped completely. "Bloody hell, Hermione, say something! Are you alright?"

"Yes, Ron. Are you?" Hermione groaned. She rolled onto her hands and knees, her wings drooping onto the ground. He reached out one hand and stroked the edge of her wing.

"Yes… Are they broken?" he asked with sincere concern. Hermione flexed them once.

"No, but sore." She sat up and looked at him. They were silent for a moment.

"That bastard Malfoy did it! One moment I was there and the next… Boom! Gone!" Ron fumed.

"I'm sure his father taught him that trick; I'll bet its Dark Magic," Hermione said, rubbing her back. "He had a suspicion about what I am, and now he knows for sure…"

"Mione, I'm sorry, you know I am; I'm so sorry," Ron fumbled, twisting his bruised hands together.

"It's not your fault. They would have done that anyway. Elder Malfoy was just lucky to be here for the show, that's all," Hermione growled. "Listen, I accept your apology; I knew you'd never really leave me, but right now I need a favor."

"Okay, what is it?" Ron said eagerly, wanting to make it up to Hermione.

"Go get Professor Snape. He'll be looking for me. Tell him where I'm at and then go see Madame Pomfrey to be healed," she said.

"What about you?"

"I'm just fine, now hurry, please," she said. Ron bit his lip, still looking desperately apologetic, and Hermione smiled at him. "Ron Weasley, one of my oldest friends, please find Professor Snape."

Ron seemed to snap out of it and nodded before limping quickly away. Hermione sat back on her butt and sighed. She was quite sure that she had just ruined everything. She remembered that Hagrid's class had been outside. Everyone would know now. She would have to be on guard for her life. Death Eaters would want to hurt her.

Hot tears fell down Hermione's cheeks and she shivered. The sun wasn't penetrating the forest canopy and her wings had ripped her cloak off earlier. The eluvian shirt did nothing against the weather so she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She didn't put her wings away, but let them stretch while they could. Besides, withdrawing them would only make her feel worse.

Severus ran in the direction that the Weasley boy had pointed to. He was mad, no, he was enraged. Why did she do that! She might have just saved her friend's life, but now she had a bounty on her head. Lucius was there, why was he there? Draco must have told him about Hermione's resistance to the Imperius and that would naturally entrance Lucius' intrigue.

Severus snarled in his throat as he leapt past a large fallen log. Lucius knew of Emily and what her blood provided for the Dark Lord, although he never saw her. Lucius knew what eluvian were. Now he would take the information to the Dark Lord and Hermione would never be safe. She was going to be hurt… if she weren't terribly already.

Severus stopped abruptly and looked down where several large branches had crashed on the ground. A deep skid mark began a few steps before him and his eyes followed it for nearly fifty feet before he saw her. She was huddled on the cold ground, her dirty white wings stretched out behind her, and her shoulders were shaking. Severus approached her quickly with a sinking feeling, yet still furious.

She looked up at him, her dirt-streaked face wet with tears. He towered over her and opened his mouth angrily, but she cut him off. Her wings came forward and wrapped around herself, forming a small feather dome. He couldn't see her anymore, but her wings were shaking as if she started crying harder.

"What were you thinking?" he snarled loudly. He heard a muffled sob come from her shaking form that would have been rather loud if her wings weren't in the way. "You traded his life for yours, don't you know that? You will never be safe!"

He waited for her reaction, breathing heavily, but she never moved. If anything, she wrapped her wings tighter around herself. Severus' fury was getting the best of him. He never was good at controlling it and he wasn't about to begin.

"Don't you know what this means? It means they're coming for you. It means I might have to take you to the Dark Lord myself. Just be glad that they don't know who you're protecting! You're as good as dead, eluvia," Severus spat. He kicked hard at a log and sent it flying in splinters.

Her wings contracted and he heard the sob again.

She felt wretched but the darkness of her wings was comforting. No one could see her. Her appearance was hidden, as were her tears and red, wet face. The tears and dirt had mixed to create a sticky mud-like substance on her cheeks. Hermione rocked back and forth slightly, her tears beginning to subside, but she could hear Severus angrily pacing. He cursed occasionally. Never at her, but to himself and at Lucius. He scared her, to be honest. She didn't want to come out.

Severus glared toward the rounded wings and took a deep breath. They were getting no where, and he knew his anger wasn't helping. He approached her again, taking steadying breaths, and slowly this time.

"Miss Granger," he said quietly as he squatted down in front of her. Her wings rustled slightly, but she didn't emerge. "We need to talk."

Hermione bit her lip; he was speaking gently. Opening her wings to him meant accepting what just happened, what her future was. In here, she could hide from it forever…

Severus reached forward and pulled a few leaves from her feathers. Then, still squatting, he rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the ground. The tips of her shoes were peeking out at him from under the wings.

"Hermione," he said, his deep voice rumbling in the silence of the forest.

The wings opened very slightly; he could hardly see her face, but he noticed her red eyes and dirt-smeared cheeks. She wasn't crying anymore.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered solemnly. They stared at each other through the opening in her wings. "I'm really very, truly sorry," she repeated, the words catching in her throat.

Severus clenched his jaw. He knew he should apologize, too, but he wouldn't. It wasn't like him. It symbolized weakness. Regret…

"Are you hurt?" he murmured.

"Bruised, I think," she replied thickly, her wings opening a little wider. She was watching him warily. "Are you still angry?"

"Yes," he replied shortly, "but I understand why someone placed in reckless Gryffindor risks their life to save their friend's. You need healing." He stood but she still seemed frozen on the spot. "What is it?"

"Do you really believe…" Hermione began, looking intently at her knees. She cleared her throat quietly and started again. "Am I going to die?"

She gathered the courage to look up at him. Severus remembered the angry words that carelessly rolled off his tongue not long ago: "You're as good as dead, eluvia." He inwardly cringed.

"We'll have to fight it," he said firmly, truthfully. He walked away, slowly enough for her to catch up with him. He heard her scramble off the ground and jog to reach his side. Severus was surprised by her shaking hand slipping into his. He jerked away, glaring down at her disdainfully, but she looked very small, frightened, and rejected. He watched as she drew in her wings, closing her eyes, but a tear slipped out from beneath her eyelashes and fell down her cheek, leaving a clean path in the dirt.

He didn't know why he felt compelled to do it and decidedly placed the blame on Emily. Her death made him protective of his eluvia. He wasn't the only one who needed security, he thought stubbornly. Severus stared firmly ahead of them and then wordlessly enveloped Hermione's small hand in his.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, but I do own eluvian!

Ooh, no romance yet... maybe in a bit. Can't push it too fast, though. This chapter was a little shorter for where I wanted the ending to be, but I've already got a good start on the next one!

Oh, no! What's going to happen? Hm... Hermione seems to be in a spot of trouble... Silly Gryffindor. Also, yes, Draco's an asshole in this fic. Don't get me wrong, I love that boy. I don't always make him so horrible, but he is here.

Review! Please.

Love!

Soline