All Alone

"Hi Ginny," Ron greeted his sister as she sat down next to him at Gryffindor table for lunch. "You haven't seen Hermione this morning have you, she disappeared after Potions? Professor Snape wouldn't do anything to her would he?" He pulled a piece of toast towards him and started to eat. Ginny looked at him.

"No, sorry. Where do you think she is?" she said getting a book out of her bag. She, like Hermione, was a bookworm, they were always in the Library.

Hermione walked into the Great Hall at that moment, she knew that Ron would ask what had happened when he saw her tear stained face. She had been in the bathroom all morning, crying. She made her way towards her friends, as she did, she looked up at the staff table, Severus was not there. As she sat down next to Ron, Harry came up.

"What's the matter Herm, you're still not sore about the other day are you?" He asked looking at her. She ignored him and started to eat her lunch. "Come on girl, don't be that way. I'm sorry, really," he said, not sounding very sorry. It was more like a joke to him.

Hermione looked at him coldly. "You're not sorry. You never are," she shouted at him. The whole school turned to watch. Hermione looked down at her untouched food. She got up and run out of the Hall.

"Look what you've done to her. I think you're sad," Ron said angrily at Harry. He got up and walked out after Hermione. Harry just sat down and started flirting with Ginny.

"Hermione, wait up. Where are you?" Ron shouted, searching the corridor. He had followed the sound of her footsteps, and her crying, but he had lost her. "Damn, Hermione!" He stated walking down the dim lit corridor. It was deserted, not a picture frame in sight. Suddenly, he came to a four way split. He was lost, with no idea where he was. "Hello, anyone there?" he whispered.

"Ron, is that you?" a voice asked, not far away. It was Hermione. Ron ran towards the sound of her voice, glad that he had found her. When he reached her, she was sitting on the floor, hardly visible by the darkness of the corridor.

"Hermione, are you all right?" he asked sitting down next to her and wrapping his arms around her slim figure. She leaned against him, starting to cry. They sat like that for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it was only minutes. Ron looked at the figure lying in his arms. For years he had dreamt of this moment, to have her close. He lifted her chin up to face him. She looked at him with tear strewn eyes. He bent his head, their lips touching, but for only seconds. Hermione pulled away. Ron looked hurt.

Suddenly footsteps were heard coming down the passage that Ron had come down. They hid further in the shadows, but to no avail. Severus came round the corner, he had his wand out. "It is no use hiding," he said in a menacing voice, that was enough to scare any sixth year. "Come out." Ron got up and stepped out first, hiding Hermione behind his back. He was going to shield her, no matter what. "Your friend too."

Hermione stayed where she was. She didn't want to see Severus, or let him see her. She was still upset, and would not be able to see him without breaking down completely She did not want Ron, or Severus, to see her like that.

"Fine, detentions for the both of you, and 20 points off of Gryffindor," Snape said, giving Ron a glare. "You will come to my office straight after dinner. Do not be late." With that he stormed off, and disappeared.

"Come on, lets get back to Breakfast," Ron said, pulling Hermione up. They walked down the corridors, trying to find a way out. Finally they came to the Entrance Hall, were Ginny was looking frantically around. "Ginny, What's the matter?"

"Where have you been? Come on, we've got to get up to the common room.," Ginny said leading them up the marble stairs.

"Why? What's happened?" Hermione said, following her. She didn't answer until they were standing in front of the Fat Lady

"You-Know-Who is planning an attack on Hogwarts. Dumbledore told everyone to get back to their common rooms. We have to stay here," said Ginny, starting to look worried. She gave the password (Cauldron) to the Fat Lady and climbed through the portrait hole. Inside, many of the students were looking worried.

Harry came over to them as they sat down on a sofa. Ron glared at him. "Dumbledore wants to see us now," Harry said lazily, looking past them as a girl walked past, his eyes following her into her dorm. Hermione and Ron got up, pulling Harry towards the exit.

Severus had been on his way to meet Dumbledore, when he came across Weasley. 'No doubt making out with some slut', he thought, as he gave them detention. He swept down the corridor, and continued towards Dumbledore's office. Suddenly, a searing pain shot up his left arm. He doubled over, the pain unbearable. Then, as suddenly as it had come, it dulled, until it was no more than a sting. Slowly he got up, leaning against the wall for support. He rested until he regained balance, then lifting the left sleeve of his robe, he looked down. The Dark Mark had turned black. He started to run. He had to get out of the school, to go to the meeting.

As soon as he had cleared the gates of the school, he apparated. He found himself in a clearing, in the middle of a forest, where cloaked figures were standing in a crowd. The sky was dark, the air filled with rain. He could feel the evil in the air, circling over the group. When he joined them, a tall, skinny figure stepped into the middle of the clearing. As soon as it had appeared, the crowd parted, and formed a circle around the person.

"My faithful Death Eaters, I have a job for you. Severus, come, and I will tell you of your part," said Voldemort. Severus, hesitated for a second, but stepped forward anyway. What ever the Dark Lords plan was, it wasn't good. As soon as he reached him, Voldemort handed him a letter. "When you return to the school, open your letter. I want you to capture the mudblood friend of Harry Potter. She can be of use to me. Now go, all of you. I will summon you again, so be ready." With that, everyone apparated.

Severus made his way to his rooms as soon as he had got to the gates. When he had changed, he sat in his chair and opened his letter. After he had read the letter, he went to his owl and tied it to its leg. "To Albus," he mumbled, stoking it's soft, dark feathers. The owl hooted and took off. Severus settled himself into his chair again, and dozed off into a uneasy sleep.

Hermione was dreading detention. She hadn't seen Severus all afternoon. At dinner she and Ron sat either side of Ginny. She seemed happy, talking about Christmas. Hermione was going to stay at the Burrow for most of the holidays. Ron was silent, his mind clearly somewhere else. After dinner, she and Ron made their way to the dungeons, an awkward silence hanging in the air between them. When they reached Snape's room, she knocked on the door.

Severus awoke suddenly. It was dark. He had slept through the afternoon. With a flick of his wand all the candles were lit. The knocking came again. He got up and went into his classroom. He opened the door to find Hermione and Weasley standing outside. He remembered giving Weasley a detention, but not Hermione. Then it dawned on him, it was she that had refused to show herself, probably out of anger at him. He moved to let them enter.

"You will clean the storeroom," he said to Hermione, not daring to look into her eyes. "You can clean all the cauldrons. No magic," he said to Weasley, his voice dripping with menace and loathing. He turned and walked to his desk and sat down. He started to mark papers, and was soon so engrossed, he forgot that he wasn't alone.

"Sir, we've finished," Ron said quietly. He was surprised with Snape's behaviour. He hadn't made one remark. Severus looked up from the papers he was marking. He had forgotten them.

"Leave then," he said, looking back at the papers, but not really seeing them. He could tell they were astounded at him. They hurried out of the room. Severus got up and left to. He made his way up to the Astronomy Tower.

Hermione and Ron climbed up the marble staircase. Hermione stopped. "Ron, you go back to the common room, I'll see you later," she said, running back down the stairs, not giving him time to answer. Ron looked back, but still continued towards Gryffindor Tower.

Once she was outside she felt better. She took a walk around the outside of the castle, looking up at it. Then she stopped, a figure was standing on the ledge to one of the towers. It stood there for a second before jumping off. Before she had even thought of it, Hermione pulled out her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she shouted, but it was too late. The person hit the ground with a load crunch. she ran over to it and knelt down. She gasped when she saw who it was.