It just...happened...

The sounds of shoes clattering against a stone floor didn’t disturb any of the deeply sleeping children of Hogwarts, even though it should have.

Minerva McGonagall ran to the Headmaster’s office as he was now in his chambers drinking some butterbeer. As soon as she encountered the door she thout out random candy names until she hit the jackpot.

“Headmaster!” She called out breathlessly, feeling almost as ragged as when she had been zapped three times in the chest by Umbridge and her lot. “It’s Miss Granger.”

Dumbledore sputtered on his drink, standing and wiping the excess juice that ran from his lips onto his beard. “What is it Minerva?”

McGonagall looked at him with heavy, solemn eyes. “She’s gone Albus. And I can’t find her.”

“But, she was to meet you in the front hall.”

“She never showed up, Albus.”

Albus gave McGonagall an incredulous look and then his face broke out into a small smile; “Surely you’re mistaken Minerva. Why, just conjure up a detecti-“

McGonagall shook her head interrupting, “I did. She’s obviously cast a ward against it…we’ll never find her.”
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“Do keep up Granger.” Snape said boredly, a few hours later, giving Hermione a dissatisfied look. They had gone out of the forest by some secret way obviously only Snape knew from his old DeathEater days.

“Yes sir.”

Hermione winced as she stepped on her throbbing feet more rapidly and looked to her lone tour guide. The two of them were somewhere else now; it was a sort of waved roadway, and was very muddy even thout wat was unnaturally cold.

Sparse trees decorated the strange landscape, which had only the solace of a clear view of the night sky. Snape didn’t tell her where they were.

Hermione had often looked up to it during their long trek, and knew somehow she would find Harry…no matter what the cost.

“Professor?” Hermione asked, knowing he could hear her, but never slowing his pace.

He was moving along the road with his arms crossed, either because he was cross himself or because he was cold. He showed no signs of answering. Then out of nowhere…

“Why did you feel the dire need to follow me, Miss Granger?” came the low growl, as Hermione stomach flipped.

“I knew you’d come to find Harry…but…” she didn’t go on at first, then decided if twerewere going to be out in the dark for what seemed like forever, she might as well get somng ong off her chest. “I didn’t know if I could trust you.”

She thought she saw him flinch at that, but in the darkness it was hard to tell. “Really…” it was sort of a comment not meant for anyone. “Dumbledore’s confidence in me wasn’t enough to persuade you?” there was a mocking sneering sound in his voice and Hermione frowned.

“No sir. I was sure you had some plan with Voldemort.”

“What makes you think I don’t?”

Hermione paused a moment, looking to his back and shrugging to herself, “If you did, you would have killed me already.”

She thought she heard a small chuckle carry itself in the wind around her, but she was sure it was her imagination, acting out of fatigue. He spoke no more after that
Th
The silence was becoming the worst of it, Hermione stood a few feet away and to the back of him, following his every footstep in fear of getting lost.

He usually never spoke to her, unless he was informing her of her slow pace, to which she would sneer in the darkness and reply with a brisk; ‘Yes sir.’ She knew she had to keep on his good side, if he refused to take her, she would never find Harry.

Snape knew it. She was sure of it.

A low growl sounded from Hermione’s side, in the darkness of the night. She whimpered softly and tried to walk faster after the obviously irritated Professor Snape.

“Err…Professor?”

A loud sigh. “What is it now, Granger?”

“Err…did you happen to hear that?” Hermione said looking behind her as she continued walking forward…right into the cold and rigid body of Professor Snape. She jumped back, more frightened of him than the phantom sound.

“Hear what?” He hissed angrily, she could see his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight…not a pretty sight. Hermione felt her heart drop…why did he have to be so, overbearing?

“It sounded like a growl, sir.”

Silence.

“Are you quite serious?”

“I am.”

“You mean to tell me, Miss Granger.’ Snape said, pinching the bridge of his nose irritably, “That you’ve stopped me to ask about a ‘scary’ noise in the darkness? While I’m supposed to be rescuing your friend? And trying to stave off hunger while looking out for Voldemort? ”

What could she say to that? She shrugged and looked to the muddy ground. How could she rectify this? He was still breathing shallowly and looking at her if she were mad. He was hungry again? Hadn\'t he just eaten...no...when she thought about itey\'ey\'d been travelling for several hours, it made sense he\'d be starving again, she was herself.

She saw his pale face frantic, and how he looked so very tired himself…poor git.

“You’re hungry?”

Where had that come from? Snape whirled around then, muttering, ‘unbelievable…me babysitting a Gryffindor…

“Would you care for a sandwich?” Hermione asked digging around in her now growing bag, and producing a large sandwich. “I packed quite a lot.”

Snape whirled around again, almost smashing into her once again. Raisa qua quizzical eyebrow he frowned at her, squinting his eyes. “Do you know what you’re wand is for, Miss Granger?”

“I do, sir.”

“Yet, you still packed sandwiches.”

Pause.

“ I thought I should conserve my magic.”

He let out a loud sigh of, “Silly little girl,” and grabbed the sandwich from Hermione, before whirling around stalking off more quickly than before down the road with Hermione trotting quickly behind him.

He had thought of stopping for a lunch break a while back, but had decided that they should make the best time possible. So he had forced himself to move on…

He ate the sandwich quickly, noticing that she must have enchanted the food to remain piping hot. His stomach was full by the time Hermione was eating beside him as they walked in silence, with she tripping occasionally.

“I love sandwiches, don’t you?” Hermione asked with a mouthful, as Sanpe winced and forced himself to look away from her. He licked his lips unconsciously, suddenly feeling parched and wishing he had a drink.

“Like some?” came the small voice at his elbow, accompanied by a small thermos. He looked to Hermione warily, and decided to drink it while still glaring at her. Kill two birds with one stone. She looked off, drinking some pumpkin juice from another thermos, not noticing Snape’s watch on her.

Perhaps he’d let her tag along…she was proving useful…perhaps in more ways than one? His eyes involuntarily wandered up and down her frame as she looked off into the darkness. Not bad…hard to tell in the darkness and with so many layers of clothing, but he’d seen her in her robes plenty of times…He shook his head from such perverse thoughts…a Gryffindor student no less.

He finished off the butterbeer, wiping his lips and handing the thermos back to her…not really glaring anymore, more looking at her awkwardly. Their fingers grazed each other’s a moment before she took the thermos from him, shoved it back into her satchel and snapped her fingers. satcsatchel shrunk and she slipped it back into her cloak pocket.

Again they walked on, colder than before while Snape tried his best not to yell at Hermione for being so slow. He glanced at her cold tinged face, and saw her eyelids dropping…

“We’ll stop here for the night.” He said gruffly, pointing to a small clearing off the path.

Hermione nodded and with a wave of her wand, a small bed appeared with large red blankets and pillows. She smiled dreamily and prepared to go to it, when she felt a cold hand grasp her shoulder.

“Do wise up Granger.” Snape snapped exasperated, “We’re on the way to Voldemort to find Potter…it is up to us to be inconspicuous.”

He waved his wand over the scene as he said this and instead of a four poster bed, a small fire ignited and two black sleeping bags appeared on the cold, harsh ground.

Hermione sighed; feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. She was doing this for Harry…for Harry…for Harry…

“Fine.”

They went to the clearing, making sure that they were well hidden. Snape watched Hermione as she shook off her shoes and crawled into her sleeping bag, fluffing her black pillow. She looked over to him, seeing he was doing the same.

He put his hands beside his head, feeling comfortable, knowing they were well concealed in the clearing…even thought he couldn’t possibly cast a ward on them out here. He looked up at the night sky, knowing fulll thl that they would be waking soon.

He let his gaze fall on Hermione, a few feet from him by the fire; she lay on her stomach, strands of hair falling into her face as her pink lips pouted in her sleep. She must have been exhausted…A strange feeling went into the pit of his stomach…must have been her sandwiches.

He lay on his side, his back to her and tried to sleep…and finally it came…although by the morning he would wish it hadn’t.