"I think we need to get into Gringotts."

"Yeah, how do you suppose we do that? It takes a month to brew polyjuice potion and we can't just walk in under the cloak." Ron was still a bit on edge. His hands kept turning the mirror waiting for the rubies to reach the outer edge.

"We must do something. We can't just keep running from place to place. We need to find the Horcruxes."

"What about Griphook? Surely he will help us. After all, you saved his life." Luna normally didn't get into their arguments but all the negative energy the two of them were building was starting to make her feel sad. She didn't like feeling sad.

"What if he's not still at Bill and Fleurs?" Harry ran a hand through his hair. The idea had merit he just hoped they hadn't thought of it too late.

"We'll worry about that when we get there." Luna pushed herself up, "It's the only thing we can do right now. It's better than nothing."

oOo

Snape turned when the bathroom door opened again. He adjusted his cuffs into place and slipped into his shoes. Completely dressed, he felt his wall of personal restraint falling effortlessly into place. He could sense a tension in the air and knew the foolish girl was about to do something incredibly stupid.

As if on cue, Hermione pulled her hands free from Poppet's hold and hastily pushed up the blindfold. She didn't see Snape, who had moved silently out of her immediate range of vision and pushed off.

Hermione made it half a step before a large black arm nearly clotheslined her. She fell backward into a rather hard, something before her brain registered the feeling of a breathing chest.

"No." His voice was akin to someone scolding a pet.

Hermione pulled on the arm wrapped around her shoulders and tried to kick back but the arm only shifted upward pressing into her already sore throat.

"Plea-se let m-e go." Her voice sounded weak, even to her ears. The full sentences she'd managed before broken by the stress. She tried in vain to turn one way or another but the arm merely held her tighter forcing her head back into endless obsidian.

What did she really believe she was going to accomplish? Foolish child. His wand came into his palm and he pressed it under her chin to accent his point. Why did she have to push his patience to the limit?

Hermione grunted softly and instantly went still. Her bound hands relaxed their grip and thankfully his hold followed suit. A shuddering breath cleared her throat and she couldn't help but realize that her entire body was pressed tightly against his stone-like frame.

"Harry ne-eds me..." Her voice dropped off mid-sentence to a hoarse popping whisper and she tried again to speak but only found herself able to make an odd airy sound.

Ever the insufferably arrogant, self-sacrificing, righteous, Gryffindor. Snape glared at her pathetic attempts and turned his wand down to her throat. He almost relished in the flash of terror before he mumbled the spell so she could hear.

Hermione sighed softly as the pain subsided and her throat loosened. She swallowed reflexively before she stumbled backward. Snape had suddenly completely released her, surely to prove the point that she was in no condition to do much of anything at present.

"You're not leaving these rooms," Snape tucked his wand back up into his sleeve before moving over to a nearby window, "Though you're welcome to jump if you're feeling exceptionally lucky." He pushed open the stained glass letting a rather harsh burst of cold morning air into the otherwise warm space.

Hermione couldn't resist the urge to come closer. Her steps were small but sure. Her glare had no impact on him but she had no control over its occurrence. Her jaw dropped when she looked out into the horizon.

She was at Hogwarts! More than that, she was in the tallest tower. Her heart beat just a bit faster as a large black sweeping cloud-like something moved over the mist covering the trees of the forbidden forest. Dementors. Even if she did by some miracle make it out of the room and onto the grounds, she'd never make it past them without a wand.

Snape pulled the window shut with a rather sharp snap, the lock went into place punctuating his point that he was confident he'd driven home by now. He took her by her arm with no resistance and led her over to one of the armchairs by the fireplace.

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself strong. Her mind was already turning through a thousand different scenarios. She sat down without a thought. Her eyes rising when he took the seat across from her.

"You were found an inch away from death." Snape kept his voice controlled. He very much didn't want to have to worry about keeping her forcibly locked away. Though he was more than capable, it would spare him a lot of headaches if she chose to stay willingly. At least until he could find out where to send her.

"You've been here for three days." Snape gauged her reaction before continuing on, "You've suffered significant damage to your throat and ribs. I suspect you've already come to understand that." He nodded at her when she fidgeted in the chair to try and breathe more easily. "You've nearly exhausted my stores. I haven't had the time to make more, though the potion for your throat should be ready this afternoon."

Hermione grimaced and rubbed her left side before lowering her eyes. She was between a rock and a hard place. She knew he was right, she just didn't want to admit it. To him or herself.

"I do not know where Potter has gone, though as soon as I become aware; I intend to remove you from my presence."

Snape pushed himself up, looking down his hooked nose at the deflated Gryffindor. He wanted to take pleasure in her pain, but he found himself merely feeling sorry for her. It was a very unwelcome feeling.

He snapped his fingers and Poppet, who had hidden beside the dressing screen, appeared right at his side, "Take Miss Granger to her rooms. She is-" Snape's voice was cut off to a sharp hiss. He grabbed his forearm on instinct.

The small house elf nodded her head trying to keep her self as small as possible. She knew that face. The pain. She knew he'd possibly return injured or worse not at all. Her master wasn't innately cruel but he did have a temper. Though he'd never taken it out on her, she wasn't going to press her luck. She was sure to punish herself later for letting the girl attempt to escape.

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what must have cut him off. Voldemort. Voldemort was calling for him. She raised her head as the little elf took her hand gently in hers. She had so many thoughts swimming through her mind. Too many to even begin to articulate. Not that she could.

She stood without resistance and followed the elf. Though she did look back at the shadow of the man who had started towards another door. She could tell by his walk that he was still in pain.

What side was he on? Why had he told her all he had? What was his true reason behind all of this? Where was Harry? Was Ron alright? What had truly happened to her during the three days?

Hermione barely registered the path back into the closet until one of the professor's long frock coats brushed past her shoulder. Her eyes flicked to the fabric and the smell of stale blood assaulted her nose.

oOo

"Oh, Ronald!" Molly threw down the bag she'd had in her hand and quickly wrapped her youngest son in a tight hug. "Harry!" Molly turned pulling him as well.

"You both look horrible! Where's Hermione?" Molly had seen Luna but the girl had been taken into her father's arms before it could really register. Ron and Harry looked down at their feet and shook their heads.

"We don't know..." Ron's voice choked with emotions.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Didn't Bill tell you?" Ron sniffled pushing down the emotion rising in his chest. He glanced at his brother who merely shook his head.

"She only just arrived before you. Said Mister Lovegood needed a place to stay..."

Harry glanced at the man who was now on his knees hiding his haggard face into his daughter's stomach, who gently ran a hand down his tangled hair while he cried with relief. His clothes looked weeks old and stained with all sorts of things Harry didn't want to think about.

"We have this..." Ron pulled the mirror from his pocket catching everyone's attention. "She's alive..but..."

"That's a scryer's mirror..." Mr. Lovegood slowly came to his feet, to take a closer look, "I thought they were all destroyed hundreds of years ago..."

Ron resisted the urge to snatch his precious possession away when the man ran his trembling fingers over the glass. "Does it work?"

"Yeah." Ron made a small face and pulled it up, "Show me, Hermione Granger..."

The image slowly swirled into place but it merely showed a blue wall. Ron was about to turn to find her when Mr. Lovegood tapped his wand on the surface.

"Projekas maxima." The entire room flashed with a bright light and everyone therein found themselves looking at a partially transparent overlaid image.

Ron's eyes went wide at their surroundings. It was like they were standing in the room he had peered into countless times before. He turned on his heel and went still as Hermione's full form came into view.

The room was still in disarray. The bed and pillows cluttering up the previously neat space. The blankets were in the corner and the straps that had held her could be found neatly coiled on the far side. The place looked as though there had been a rather bad struggle.

Ron felt his heart in his throat but didn't dare to move. All eyes were turned onto the still form sitting curled in the chair in the corner. A plate of food sitting untouched on the small table.

Hermione had her head down on her knees, her face turned away into the wall beside her. Her hair had fallen free from the plait and spilled down her small form as though it could shield her from the world.

A movement caught all but Ron's attention. The bed and pillows were slowly being moved back into their proper places by a small house elf in a green pillowcase. The elf turned to a sound none of them could hear and started their way over to Hermione. The elf touched her foot making Hermione curl up just a bit tighter. To all observers, the elf looked worried.

The overlaid imaged blinked and faded for a moment before finally winking out. Ron lowered the mirror with a heavy heart.

"She... she looks cared for..." Molly could barely make the words carry any weight. She could feel her son's pain and it made her heartache. Hermione was very much a daughter to her as Harry was her son and it pained her to see any of her children in distress.

"A deatheater has her." Harry swallowed, "We saw the mark in the mirror but can't find any clues..."

Molly pursed her lips, "We'll set the order on it. Surely someone has heard something..."

"Thank you..." Harry tried to puff up his chest, "We actually...needed to talk to Griphook...is he still here?"

oOOo

Snape kept his back straight and his head held high. It would do him no favors to allow his fatigue to show. The air was thick with danger and he knew he had to tread carefully.

He was led into the dining room by Wormtail. A man who even in the deepest shadows repulsed even him. The man truly loved up to his moniker.

"Ah, Severus you've come. Please, have a seat." Lord Voldemort's tone was as alluring as it was dangerous.

The room was brightly lit, an odd state to see. Snape's eyes ran down the length of the table that was laden with food. A mockery of a family breakfast. A seat had been left open on the right, with Bellatrix taking the left. Lucius and Draco sat beside her while Narcissa took her place across from Draco. All of whom looked as though they had seen better days.

Severus kept himself calm, clearing his mind from all distractions. He took his place to the right and waited.

"Have you eaten?"

"No, My Lord." Snape glanced at Bellatrix who was idly chewing on a bit of bacon, a slithering grin forming at the corner of her lip.

A snap of his fingers brought a girl from the corner. Snape wasn't sure how he'd missed her. A plate was placed before him but when he took the moment to look at her properly he realized something that made his stomach grow cold.

Her eyes were like fogged glass and her limbs trembled ever just so. Her clothes were nothing more than a sheet tied in place at her shoulders. She couldn't have been older than 16. Her hair had been cut badly, resting just below her chin and a dark letter branded over her left hand. The letter B.

"Wonderful aren't they? When they're in their proper place." Voldemort chuckled softly and leaned back in his chair. A wave of his hand sent the girl back to her place on the wall. "Now then, there's something I wish to discuss with you."

A book was set beside his plate and he allowed his confusion to show through. A small glance to confirm that he was indeed allowed to examine it raised his hand from under the table.

Narcissa filled his plate for him but he paid her no mind. He turned the pages slowly, a small tick in the back of his brain told him he recognized the neat print within.

"A journal, My Lord?"

"Yesss, a rather specific one. Taken off the mudblood that travels with Harry Potter."

Snape's brow twitched, what was so important about a diary? The thought was quickly banished away when he made it to the center. It was a spell, a very elaborate and very familiar spell.

"I want you to find her, Severus. I need to know if thisss has been enacted."

Snape raised his head, "My Lord, as much as I wish to please you, I don't know if I would be able to-" His words cut off when the man beside him pulled out a wand.

"You can use this." Voldemort set the wood down between the pages. "I expect to hear good news from you this evening."

"Yes, My Lord."

oOOo

Hermione had finally finished her breakfast when the elf had finished resetting the room. She'd convinced the elf to give her a bit of parchment and a pencil. It had taken creative bargaining but she'd finally gotten the elf to consent.

Now she was alone, for how long she wasn't sure. The sun had fully risen overhead and her internal clock told her it had to be nearing noon. She kept her mind busy trying to recount what the could remember before she'd woken. It was hard but it set her nerves at ease.

She had started a letter to Harry as well, instructing him on where he should look for the next Horcrux. She was sure that Bellatrix had had more than the sword in her vault. She'd even written where she'd hidden an extra set of supplies, complete with a potions kit.

She just had to convince Snape to send it. She'd made a mental list of evidence against him. Trying to figure out his true end game. She wouldn't say she trusted him, but she did need his help just as much as he needed hers.

On one of her trips to the bathroom, she'd taken a few seconds to look at herself in the full-length mirror. She hadn't looked as bad as she believed she had. In fact, she'd almost swear she looked better than she had in weeks. That was until she lifted her shirt to see the rather deep scar on her rib. She could feel smaller scars as well but only the one was discolored. Deep red, it fell right between her third and fourth rib. She'd been too afraid to touch it but she could tell it had been mended as best as it could be.

Hermione lifted her head to the door. The locks were being released and even still, the sound ran cold down her spine. She didn't try to hide, rather she neatly piled her parchment and pushed herself to her feet. She wrapped her arms around her ribs to help support herself.

Snape stepped through, his body tense and ready for another confrontation. His eyes snapped to the corner where she stood as if waiting patiently for him.

"There's been a change." There was no use delaying or sugarcoating. He'd just spent the last hour arguing with Albus trying to find an alternative. There was none. It would seem his trip through hell had just taken a prolonged detour.

"A change?" Hermione kept her voice to a whisper.

"You're not going anywhere." Snape made his way over to the table dropping her journal down overtop of the papers she'd written. "Look familiar?"

Hermione tried her best not to cow away from him. She'd never particularly liked him when he was a professor but she'd never truly been afraid of him. Until now. Her eyes turned down and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Saving her speech, she merely nodded her head.

"The Dark Lord has taken a particular interest in one of your little side projects." Snape flipped the book open watching her eyes widen when he settled on the proper page. "A rather adventurous idea. Did you find it in a book?"

Hermione's breath came out just a bit more quickly. She had indeed found it in a book. A very special book. A book that nearly got all of them in trouble their sixth year. His book, his potions book.

"Did you complete this spell?" Snape had to know, he had to be sure that none of the trio were walking about with one of the stones.

Hermione shook her head turning her eyes away. As brave as she was, she didn't have the nerve to look him in the eyes with what she had to say next, "Th-e po-tion is fla-ed. It would never wo-rk."

"And you took it upon yourself to make it work?"

Hermione nodded almost imperceivably. Her arms curled back around her frame. The edge in his voice was enough to set her back straight.

"Well, you may just get your chance." Snape snapped the book shut and tucked it under his arm. His eyes noted the letter she'd been writing and his mind started to turn.

"The Dark Lord has tasked me with finding you." His haw twitched when her head snapped up, eyes wide with fear, "By nights end."

"Please...you mu-st let me g-o..." Hermione could feel tears coming to her eyes but she stubbornly pushed them back.

"I cannot do that."

"I...I can.. escape...or-or..." Her throat grew tighter and it lowered her whispered voice even further. Her heart was beating so loudly in her ears.

"He has given me this," He pulled her wand from his pocket holding it up for her to see, "To find you."

"Tha-t's my wand!" Hermione's eyes went wide as dinner plates and her hand shot out only to fall against Snape's chest as he pulled the wand well out of her reach. It took her a few ticks before she realized what he meant. It didn't matter where she would run. He could find her.

"And your noose, should you leave this room."

Hermione lowered her hand, completely unaware that she dragged it down Snape's chest before pulling it around her waist. "Wh-at's yo-ur plan?"

"We shall start," He pulled the letter she'd been writing from the table, "With this."