All the way II: And Even Further

Rocks were quickly levitated out of the way and, as soon as it was possible, Severus and Lucius were kneeling next to Hermione and Annie. The only movement from the two women was Hermiones thumb running over the back of the Annie’s hand.

Lucius pulled Annie into his lap, pressing two fingers to her throat and finding a slow, but steady pulse. Fred and George gathered round, trying desperately to see if she was alright.

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Severus leaned over his wife, his hand reaching to take her wand from her hand, but she shook her head once. Her eyes opened slowly. They were cloudy and glassy, glazed with exhaustion. They flicked to the left.

"Over... there..." She croaked, "There's still... a man..."

"I'm on it." Remus said, moving to where her eyes had gestured.

Severus looked up. Lucius was holding the red haired girl tightly, as her father and uncle slumped down next to them in relief.

"Take her back to the castle." He told them.

The platinum haired boy glanced up, then looked down at Hermione, "Will she be alright?"

Remus called over, "I've found a bloke over here! He's fine; I'll take him to St. Mungo's!"

Severus sighed and took Hermiones wand from her unresisting hand. "She will have to be alright." he said quietly.

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Lucius nodded, trusting Snape, and, with the help of the Weasley twins, apperated back to the castle.

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Severus heard Remus apperate away with the last prisoner that had been buried, as he gently moved his wife into his arms. Relief washed over him, only to be crushed as he realized the amount of time she had been using that shielding charm, and the fact that she had been using it on all the people trapped under the building didn't help; it took a lot of energy to hold up that type of charm.

Immediately, he apperated to Hogwarts.

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Lucius and Snape spent the next two days in the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall had tried to order Lucius to go back to his classes, but when she asked for the sixth time, Snape had said quietly that he gave his permission for Lucius to stay. As Lucius was legally Snapes responsibility, McGonagall had to do as Snape said.

Lucius sat between the two beds, watching both the women, while Snape sat on the other side of Hermione.

On the third day, a quiet groan made Lucius turn to his right. Annie slowly stretched her arms up, as the blonde sat carefully on the edge of her bed.

"How're you feeling?" he asked gently.

"A bit sore," She sighed, "How's Hermione?"

"Still sleeping," Lucius told her.

"Did any one die?" She asked.

Lucius shook his head, "Hermione took care of that."

Annie nodded, "I'm sorry I stopped running. I was just so scared; you should have left me -"

Lucius grabbed her hands and cut her off firmly, "No. It wasn't your fault that you were scared. I was scared; when that place collapsed... I. Was. Scared."

Annie Sat up slowly, and put her arms around Lucius. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, kissing the top of her head.

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Lucius was asleep in the chair beside her bed. The Hospital wing

was dark. Snape was asleep by Hermione. Annie was the only one awake.

"!"!"!"!" Flash back !"!"!"!"!

She felt like she was dying. She hated fire - always had - and this was torture. She was being suffocated slowly and soon the flames would come, and then she would burn, slowly, and it would hurt, and she would be stuck, and she would burn...

Hermione was still holding her hand as Lucius ran to find his father. Annie wanted him back. Hermione moved closer, bring Annie into a tight hug.

"Don't worry," the older woman whispered, "I'm gonna help you up, and them we can get out of -"

Annie screamed as stones pelted down on them. Hermione grabbed her wand and shouted some spell. A huge rock stopped inches from them.

Soon, the air outside of the shielding charm was completely covered by rocks.

"Hermione?" Annie whispered.

"It's ok..." the womans voice was already strained with the effort of the charm, "We'll be ok..."

Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days.

Hermione shielding charm was losing strength, as well as the woman herself. Annie’s fright slowly turned into something numb. She knew she would die here. Soon Hermiones strength would give out and they would be flattened.

Dust started fall through the charm, showing the waning energy.

Then some of the rocks above them moved and sun shine had filtered down...

"!"!"!"!" End Flash back !"!"!"!"!

Annie had never been so happy to see the sky before.