9 months

Hermione groaned as she opened her eyes. The world around her was very blurry. She could tell she was in some kind of cave. She tried to seat up and found it hard to do. She couldn't move her hands or her feet.

"Don't bother struggling," a voice said.

Hermione looked up and for the first time realized there was someone standing over her. As her vision began to come in focus she saw who it was.

"Voldemort!" she cried. "How are you back?"

"As long as there are those that follow me I will always be able to come back," he explained baring his teeth at her.

"What do you want from me?" Hermione demanded.

"You are carrying a very powerful child," he explained. "I want that child. The other I couldn't careless about."

"You aren't getting either one of my babies," she said glaring at him.

"I am my dear," he said. "If anyone tries to get to you I'll kill them. I'm sure Severus will come and I'll be happy to kill the traitor."

"You are the only traitor I know," she said. "You turned on your own kind."

"You are not my kind," Voldemort snapped. "You are a dirty mudblood."

"How can you preach your pure blood shit?" Hermione questioned. "Everyone knows you're a half blood."

Before Hermione could react he pulled out his wand and pointed it at her throat.

"Another remark like that and I'll kill you," he threatened.

"You wouldn't," she said looking him in the eye. "You won't kill the baby. You want it to badly."

"You're a clever girl," Voldemort said lowering his wand. "Too bad you're a mudblood."

Voldemort turned and started to walk away from her. A man Hermione didn't know entered the cave.

"Is she mine now?" he asked.

"Do whatever you want to her," Voldemort said. "No magic and don't hurt the babies."

Hermione felt her heart beat quicken as Voldemort left the room and strange man started to advance towards her. He had an evil grin on his face and for the first time in years Hermione felt real fear.

---

As soon as Severus reached Hogwarts he headed down to his rooms to get some potions. He was going to bring some healing potions. Even though he didn't want to consider the thought of them hurting Hermione he knew it was a chance.

Ginny was with him. She had dropped James off with her mother. She'd left a note for Harry. He knew she would worry but she had to help get to Hermione. She was her friend.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Severus asked.

"I have to do this," she said. "If we asked Ron. He would come as well. So would the teachers."

"They can't come," He explained shoving the potions into his pockets. "You shouldn't even be coming."

"Why?" Ginny questioned.

"I already told you," he said walking out of the dungeons. "The way Serenity talked I should be doing this on my way. I'm the only one who can save Hermione."

"That was a dream," Ginny said still following him. "How can it be real?"

"How can any of this be real?" Severus asked. "I just know what I saw and heard. Hermione is in the Forbidden Forest."

"This is insane," she said more to herself than to him.

Together the two of them walked out onto the school grounds and headed to the forest. Since it was a starless night Severus drew his wand right away.

"Lumos," he said as he walked.

A stream of light burst from his wand and covered the ground in front of him.

"How will we know where to look?" Ginny asked running to keep up with him.

"I don't know, "Severus said walking even faster. "We'll just know."

Ginny didn't say much else until they enter the forest. Even then she just muttered 'lumos'. Severus stood just inside the forest looking around. He was deciding which way to go.

Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw a flash of purple. He walked in the direction of the flash of color. Ginny quietly followed him.

Every time he would feel lost he would see a flash of purple. He knew Serenity was leading him. He didn't know how she was doing but he knew she was doing it.

As he walked he could suddenly hear screaming.

"No!" Hermione cried. "Stop!"

A stab of pain hit Severus right in the heart. They were hurting her. He reached the edge of a clearing. He peered through the thin line of trees.

There was a group of men and one woman sitting around a fire. There was no sign of Voldemort or his Hermione. Her screaming had finally stopped.

"What do we do?" Ginny whispered.

"You stay hidden," Severus said. "I'm going in."

"What?" Ginny said as he started to walk forward. "No!"

Severus ignored her words as he stepped into the clearing. Ginny drew back into the forest and made sure to stay out of sight.

"Finally!" One of the men said standing up. "He's here. We've been waiting for you."

He drew his wand and walked towards Severus.

"No," Voldemort said. "He's mine. I've been waiting a long to finish him."

The man went back to sitting next to the fire as Voldemort appeared out of the woods. He held out his wand towards Severus.

"Well," he said nodding to Severus. "You came just as I expected. I knew you would not let your mudblood die."

"Don't speak of my wife that way," Severus said in a tense voice. "You don't know her."

"I should have known you'd fall for her," he said. "You always did have a thing for dirty mudbloods."

That was enough.

"Avada Kedavra!" Severus shouted.

"Crucio!" Voldemort shouted at the same time.

Severus fell to his knees in pain.

"Still weak," Voldemort said walking in circles around him. "You're fighting with love in your heart and you still can't kill me. How sad."

"Don't bet on it," Severus growled.

"Give it another shot," Voldemort said backing up a little. "Try it again. I'll beat you every time."

Severus stood up straight looking at Voldemort with a little surprise. He stood there for a second staring at him.

"Please!" Hermione was screaming again. "Dear Merlin! Someone help me!"

Severus wanted Voldemort to suffer. He wanted him to suffer long and hard. If he could cast the Cruciatus Curse on Voldemort and have it work he would laugh. He would laugh and laugh.

"Crucio!" he cried.

"Expelliarmus!" Voldemort shouted.

That time it was Voldemort who fell. His followers at the fire jumped to their feet. His wife was still crying for help in the back ground.

Severus began to laugh as he watched his former Master fall to the ground in pain. He glanced over at the people approaching him.

"One more step and I'll kill him!" Severus said. "I can! I will!"

"Stay back," Voldemort said rising to his feet. "I am impressed Severus but you won't kill me. You don't have it any you anymore. You have been turned into a pathetic excuse for the man you once where."

Severus' wand hand was shaking as it pointed at Voldemort. Part of him thought the dark wizard was telling the truth. The other part was telling him to kill the man.

Hermione's screams had died down again.

"You are going to die," he said. "You are going to die for what you've done to the entire wizarding world."

"Then do it," Voldemort dared. "I know you won't but I'm having fun watching you torment yourself."

"Papa," a light voice whispered.

Severus didn't dare turn his head away from Voldemort. He had to do. He had to do it for his family. Severus' posture changed. Her shoulders tightened up and the hold on his wand tightened.

"Avada Kedavra!" he shouted.

A bright green light filled the area. His hand started to shake again. The world around him was spinning. He could see Ginny running out of the forest. Hermione was screaming. Spells were getting throw every which way. His followers were running off into the words.

Suddenly his legs gave out from under his and the world around him went black.