Severus wove through the many crowds of people ignoring their greetings. He was on a mission and no one was going to stop him. His Hermione, his witch was in danger and he couldn't help but feel that it was his fault. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice he had wondered deep into the forest. "Bollucks.." He muttered looking around and running a hand frustratedly through his raven hair.
    He searched for a way out for what seemed like hours with only his wand for light when the sun began to set. "This is utterly infuriating." Severus said aloud. SNAP! His head whipped around when he heard a twig being crushed under what he presumed to be a stranger. He gripped his wand tightly and held it in front of him while his onyx eyes flashed, his heart beat wildly as he moved closer to the sound. "Who's there? I demand that you show yourself!"
    Fear and apprehension melted away into irritation as he waited but got no response. He growled low in his throat, "Bombarda Maxima!" The tree blocking the mysterious follower exploded and nothing, nothing could've prepared him for what he saw. "What the bloody hell were you three dunderheads thinking?!??"
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The trio followed the once fearsome dungeon bat struggling to keep up. "How..does..he...walk..so...fast?!" Ron panted as we wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. Ginny rolled her eyes and was about to snap at him when she caught the look Harry was giving her.
"It looks like he's heading towards the forest.." Harry said starting to loose his breath as well. Ron nodded and swallowed taking a breath. The group entered the forest slowing their steps as to not alert the wizard of their presence. They watched as Severus stopped and seemed to come out of a daze. "Bollucks..." They heard him mutter to himself. Ron held back a snort and not realizing it, stepped onto a twig. SNAP! Ginny and Harry glared menacingly at Ron who's eyes were wide with fear.
They hid further behind the tree as Snape shouted at them to show themselves. The three of them didn't have time to act when the tree erupted in splinters. The group stared at each other for a few moments until Snape finally spoke, "What the bloody hell were you three dunderheads thinking?!?!"
Harry cleared his throat. It felt as if he was a first year again; shrinking under his professor's gaze as he pelted him with potion questions. "Headmistress McGonagall tasked us with following you. She knew that you wouldn't ask for help so she ordered us to follow you." Snape glared at him. "Why would I need help from you?" He asked putting emphasis on the 'I' and 'you'.
"Because we want to find Hermione too!" Ginny shouted starting to look remarkably like her mother. "You aren't the only one who cares for her! Whether you like it or not we're going to help you find her! So, stop treating us like stupid little first years!!!" Snape, Ron, and Harry stared at Ginny in pure shock. No one besides McGonagall has ever dared yelled at Severus Snape. "Fine. If you insist on going with me then I have a few conditions. First, don't get in my way. Second, my reason for searching for Ms. Granger is my business. Third, if I tell you to go..you go! No questions asked."
The trio listened as he listed his conditions. Harry nodded in agreement but they secretly agreed to reject the last one. "Fine. We agree to those conditions." Snape sighed and turned around motioning for them to follow.
    The moon had long since resin into the sky illuminating the trees in an eerie glow. "We'll rest here for the night and continue in the morning." Snape said raising his wand but a familiar voice stopped him from casting a charm. "Severus.." The others looked around in confusion. "Hermione.." Severus whispered. Hermione stepped out from behind a cluster of trees. "Professor, it's not really her." Ginny whispered but it fell on deaf ears.

Severus was frozen as 'Hermione' slowly walked towards him and circled him like a hawk circling its prey. "Sing a lullaby to close your eyes, it was always you that I despised. I don't care enough for you to cry. Goodbye. It was always you that I despised." She sang and chuckled darkly. "Enough!" Snape shouted waving his wand through the illusion and causing it to disappear.
He blinked the tears away and repeatedly told himself that she hadn't be real. She loved him and was waiting for him somewhere. "Professor-" Harry was cut off by a laugh ringing through the forest. "Did you like my little trick, Snape?!" A woman with long silky black hair in a high ponytail stepped out. Her eyes twinkling with mischief, smirking she revealed pointy fangs. "I don't know Josephine. I caught a few pathetic tears." A man said mockingly stepping out next to her. "Did you really, Claude?"
The group pulled out their wands getting into battle stances. "Now now..what happened to peace and equality?" Josephine asked making air quotes. "They look a little anxious. Idiotic humans.." Claude said growling. "What are a couple werewolves like you doing out here?" Ron asked. "Looking for a meal of course. We prefer it when our prey has adrenaline pumping through their veins. It gives it a bit of a kick." Claude said as he and Josephine started circling them.
"We were actually sent here to, shall we say, get rid of you. We get to choose how, of course." Josephine licked her glossed lips. "Mistress would be quite unsettled if we failed our orders. So I'm afraid you all will have to die. Don't worry Snape. The mudblood will join you, after being tortured into insanity." Snape growled and the trio narrowed their eyes. Spells and hexes of different colors came out of their wands. A battle had begun.
Josephine ducked and hissed as a spell grazed her arm. "Claude!" He barred his teeth and lunged at Ginny tackling her to the ground. "Stupid girl!" Harry kicked him off and bound him with ropes. Josephine's eyes flashed and she grabbed a black dagger from the belt around her dress and threw it at Ron who was helping Ginny of the ground. Severus pushed him out of the way with a grunt allowing the knife to sink into his shoulder. Josephine smirked in triumph.
Harry shot a spell at her causing her to shriek and fall to the ground unconscious. "Josie!" Claude shouted and escaped from his binds rushing to his sister. "What did you do?!" Harry swallowed panting with sweat coating his forehead, "She's..just knocked..out.." Claude's fingernails sharpened into claws and his fangs shined in the light. "You'll pay for this!" Ginny murmured a spell knocking him unconscious as well. "That's quite enough of that." She said lowering her wand.
"Let me help you with that, Professor." Ginny reached out for his shoulder but he moved out of her reach. "Severus..please.." Ginny stared at him with pleading eyes until he sighed in defeat. "Fine." He sat on a fallen tree allowing Ginny to tend to his wounds while Harry and Ron stood over the unconscious werewolves. "What should we do with them?" Ron asked nodding his head towards them. Severus rubbed his now bandaged shoulder, "I'm sure Azkaban would welcome them with open arms.."