Admit the Needs of the Heart

Special thanks to my mom, my sister, Lord_and_Lady_Peeves, and Jade_Orchid my beta for everything you lovely ladies (and gentleman) do to encourage me.

Also, this is my FIRST story, so please, be nice and helpful. Enjoy! :)

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Chapter 10: Admit the Needs of the Heart

Hermione suppressed a shiver as she sat at the bottom of the tree. It was starting to get chilly. Goodness, how long did these Dark Revels take? She sighed quietly to herself and went back to making her night blossom flower wreath, patiently waiting for Severus's return. She prayed he was safe. She hoped he'd return soon. She...

Heard something.

Hermione held her breath and remained perfectly still, straining to see if she could hear the noise again.

*snap*

There it was! It sounded like twigs snapping. She listened harder in the silence until she heard it for a third time, only now it was louder and closer than before. Whatever it was, it was coming towards her.

Slowly, Hermione got to her feet with her wand raised, prepared to defend herself by any means necessary. Her eyes darted around the moonlit clearing, but she saw nothing. She looked behind her and still didn't see anything. She looked everywhere around her; nothing was there, yet the noise was still coming closer. Hermione was starting to worry and decided the best thing for her to do was to hide in some brush until whatever it was that was making the noise came into view. At least she'd be concealed if it turned out to be something dangerous!

Silently, Hermione made a quick dash towards the bushes. Suddenly, she hit something rather hard and went flying backwards, hitting the ground with an "oof!" At first she was discombobulated, but she soon sobered upon realizing there was a dark figure standing in front of her and Harry's cloak had slipped off, revealing her identity. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet and pointed her wand at the tall form in front of her. It was then she noticed that the person also had a wand pointing at her. She squinted at the being in front of her, trying to see its features in the moonlight. She could make out shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a tall slender body. She could also see the 'thing" in front of her wasn't a thing at all, but a man! Several of his buttons were in the wrong holes, making his shirt appear crooked. He looked even more comical since his shirt was only partially tucked into his pants. She looked to his feet and noticed a crumpled cloak in front of him. Ah: he, too, must have used an invisibility cloak. No wonder she hadn't seen him approach.

"Hermione Granger?!" the man suddenly asked in disbelief.

That's when she recognized the voice.

"David Heart?" she asked in shock.

"The one and only," he grinned putting his wand away.

Hermione knew David from school. He was a seventh year Hufflepuff and a notorious libertine. She could smell the firewhisky on his breath from where she stood, as well as the scent of perfume. He had some smudged red lipstick on his cheek and she was pretty sure that was a hickey on the right side of his neck. He must have gone into Hogsmeade for some "entertainment" with some of the women at The Hog's Head.

"What are you doing out here?" Hermione demanded.

"I could ask the same to you," David answered smugly. "What IS the Head Girl doing outside of Hogwarts at this hour, hmm?"

Oh no!

Hermione pursed her lips and gave a stern look at Heart who gave back a crooked and somewhat inebriated grin. She couldn't tell him why she was in the forest. She'd betray Severus's secret if she did, and she'd die before that happened. However, as Head Girl, she couldn't let David Heart get away with his debauchery either. Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared at David with his smug look. It made Hermione think that he really should have been put into Slytherin.

"Well, I asked you first," Hermione said airily, which only caused David to laugh.

"Oh please," he chuckled with a dismissive wave, "Tell you what, I won't tell anyone you were out here, if you don't tell anyone I was out here."

"But..."

"And I won't ask what you're doing if you don't ask me what I'm doing."

"More like WERE doing."

"Whatever, do we have a deal?" David asked with a sly smile as he extended his hand.

Hermione looked at his hand for a moment, battling between her Head Girl duties and her devotion to Severus. She knew she had to keep Severus safe, even if it meant overlooking Heart's midnight rendezvous in Hogsmeade. Finally, with a heavy sigh, she took David's hand into her own and shook it.

"Excellent," David smiled before picking up his cloak and throwing over his shoulders, "It will be our little secret."

"You should have been sorted into Slytherin, David Heart," Hermione said sourly before picking up her own cloak.

"You know, the hat WAS going to sort me into it."

"What stopped him?"

"He said I was too devious," David smiled before pulling the hood up over his head and becoming completely invisible.

"Why am I not surprised?" Hermione sighed as she too put on her cloak and become invisible as well.

"Good night, Hermione," David's voice said, "See you tomorrow."

"Same to you," Hermione's voice answered.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"Be careful, Hermione. It's not very safe to be out here alone at this hour."

Hermione heard David walk past as he made his way towards Hogwarts. She stood there listening to his footsteps until they faded away into the night and she was once again alone. She sighed loudly and looked up towards the sky.

"Don't tell that to me," she whispered, "tell that to Severus."

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Meanwhile in the Gryffindor common room...

"Why is it taking so long?!" Ron demanded in anticipation as the quill entwined with Hermione's hair scribbled frantically on the scroll.

"Hang on, Ron," Harry said reassuringly, "It's almost finished."

Ron crossed his arms in annoyance and pouted. He and Harry watched the quill as it scribbled and stroked out the picture line by line. Harry cracked his knuckles nervously, hoping that Hermione wasn't seeing a bad chap. That would really make things difficult, not to mention it would send Ron over the edge.

Finally, the quill scrawled the name of the person under the picture, stood straight up, and toppled over, indicating the picture was complete. At that moment, Ron and Harry rushed over to the scroll and peered at the picture before gasping in shock.

"DAVID HEART?!" the boys shouted in shock.

"David Heart as in David 'Heartbreaker' Heart?!" Ron sputtered in disbelief.

"Looks like it," Harry nodded, still staring at the picture.

"David Heartbreaker the man-whore?!"

"I think so."

"Bloody 'ell!" Ron shouted, red in the face with anger. "I TOLD you she was seeing a bad fellow!"

"Ron, let's not jump to conclusions," Harry added.

"Not jump to conclusions?! Harry, are you mad?! Don't you see the picture too?! She's with him right now! We gotta stop her! We gotta tell her he's no good! We gotta..."

"Keep our mouths shut."

"WHAT?!" Ron asked in disbelief, "No, we have to tell her he's..."

"No, we can't!" Harry said adamantly.

"And why not?! Don't you care about Hermione's welfare?!"

"Of course I do, but think about it, Ron. If we tell her, she'll know we were prying into her affairs after she told us not to. That will make her so upset and she'll never trust us again!"

"You right," Ron said crest-fallen. "I didn't think of it that way."

"It's okay," Harry said putting a reassuring hand on Ron's shoulder, "Listen, we'll just stick with the plan. We wait until she finally tells us who it is and we act shocked and surprised."

"Oh, all right, but we gotta keep a close eye on him! We have to make sure he's treating her right, we gotta..."

"Oh no!" Harry moaned, "You don't mean..."

"Yes!" Ron said triumphantly, "Operation Fancy Pants isn't over yet! There' still lots more to learn about David Heartbreaker!"

"How do I get myself in these situations with you?"

"Hey, I've been in worst situations with you!"

"It's true. You have."

"Damn right I have, so after everything we've been through, Operation Fancy Pants will be simple."

"I guess you're right," Harry shrugged.

They took the quill and parchment and headed back up to their rooms, totally convinced that their meddling was only to keep Hermione safe. After all, what kind of friends would they be if they let her stand in harm's way? As Ron put the quill away back in his nightstand, he couldn't help but think what Hermione could possibly see in that Hufflepuff hustler. Now Ron was determined more than ever to make sure Hermione would be his if it was the last thing he did.

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Hermione sat on a log near the clearing. She had tired of counting the number of fungi growing around there. She sighed and looked up at the moon again, basking in its splendor. She longed for Snape to return. Really, what could be taking so long? Things couldn't be that interesting at a Dark Revel.

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Snape couldn't help but cry out again as the Crucio hit him in the chest and ripped through his body. God, he felt like he was on fire while people peeled off his skin! He was bent over while kneeling on the floor, his fingers dug and clawed at the ground while he squeezed his eyes shut. Finally, the pain stopped and he gasped for air.

"Do you want to cry mercy yet?" Voldemort asked in an acidic voice.

Slowly, Snape sat up to face Voldemort as sweat poured down his face and back. In reality, he wanted it to stop, but he couldn't. HE had to continue with the onslaught, fight against the pain. He wasn't sure how long he'd been under the effects of the Cruciatus. All he knew was that Voldemort saved him for last and he had to beat fifteen minutes, which was the longest any Death Eater had lasted and Malfoy's personal best.

"No," he finally said through labored breaths.

Voldemort wasted no time as he immediately hit Snape with another Crucio curse. Snape fell over onto all fours as he felt his elbows buckling under his weight. He let another cry of agony escape from his lips as the curse tore through him again. He didn't care if he screamed or not. It was better than soiling himself or crying like a child like some of the others did. Of course, most of them didn't last for more than five minutes, and that angered the Dark Lord to no end, forcing those who failed to suffer even further by handing them over to Lucius, a glutton for torture. Voldemort didn't tolerate weakness, which is why Snape had to remain strong.

The pain stopped once more and this time Snape stayed on all fours like a dog and sweating like pig. The next voice he expected to hear was Voldemort's, but instead he heard something quite peculiar.

He heard a giggle, like that of a young girl.

Slowly, Snape lifted his head to see from whom the giggling was originating. To his surprise, he saw none other than Hermione Granger standing in front of him grinning like a Cheshire cat. What was she doing here?! He had to get her out before...

Suddenly, something occurred to Snape. This couldn't be Hermione. If it was, the others would have noticed her. Besides, how would she know where the Dark Revel was being held? Obviously, he was hallucinating, a side effect from too many Crucios.

"H... H... Hermione?" Snape asked in barely a whisper.

"What did he say?" one of the Death Eaters asked Lucius while he rubbed his right arm still in pain.

"Sounded like 'mercy' to me," Lucius sneer behind his mask as rubbed his hands to relieve the pain. He was hoping Snape wouldn't beat his record yet again. Perhaps today would be the day Lucius would finally step out if Snape's shadow and show the Dark Lord just how strong he was compared to the others.

"No, he most certainly did NOT say 'mercy'!" Voldemort glared, "Crucio!"

Snape threw his head back and hissed, arching his back as his body stiffened from the anguish. He felt the blood begin to seep out the corner of his mouth as he bit the side of his cheek. He finally screamed again, no longer being able to contain his suffering. To his fortune, the pain ceased once more. He breathed hard as fell to his elbows and his leg stretched under him. He was about to drop his head until he thought he felt a hand under his chin, holding his head up.

"Oh, Severus, don't give up," he heard Hermione say.

He felt her lift his chin and met Hermione's deep chocolate eyes. He suddenly felt very safe as he lost himself in her gaze. She smiled and giggled again, causing him to give a crooked smile back.

"Merlin's beard, did he just smile?!" a Death Eater asked in horror.

"What's he staring at?" another questioned.

"Oh, think it's funny, do you?" Voldemort hissed at Snape, "Crucio!"

The pain ripped through Snape again and he squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.

"Shh!" Hermione cooed, holding his face. "It shall pass."

As if her words were magic, the pain began to lessen. He stared into her eyes though his dark hair wet with sweat and the pain lessened even more. How was she able to make the world fade away? Suddenly the pain ceased again, causing Snape to shudder.

"Have you figured out my riddle yet?" Hermione asked him sweetly.

"No," he whispered shaking his head, "No."

"Sorry, Severus, but 'no' isn't the 'magic word,' " Lucius scoffed but Snape didn't hear him.

"Silly man, why not?" Hermione teased, "Come now, it's time to think about it."

"Yes," he nodded.

"Yes you want more?" Voldemort asked sinisterly, "That can be arranged. Crucio!"

The curse hit Snape again, but this time he did not cry out. Instead, he gasped and his body stiffed against the sudden jolts to his system, never leaving Hermione's eyes.

"Now listen, Severus," Hermione smiled while he focused on her instead of the pain, "I cut through evil like a double edged sword, and chaos flees at my approach. Balance I single-handedly upraise, through battles fought with heart and mind, instead of with my gaze."

Severus fought through the agony, listened and pondering her words. The more he thought of it, the less pain he felt. He tried to grasp the concept and think hard about the enigma. His mind struggled against holding onto his sanity while the pain shredded at it.

Lucius growled as he watched the clock. Snape was approaching fifteen minutes. Damnit, why did that greasy git always have to try and one up him?! Lucius was that bastard's best and probably only friend, so why was he trying to create tension between them? Well, friend or not, he was not going to beat Lucius's score, not this time. Slowly, Lucius pulled out his wand and waited for the perfect opportunity to knock Snape out of the running. No one betters a Malfoy at anything...

Nobody.

Snape panted hard as his body shook uncontrollably. God, he was getting too old for this, or at least it felt like it! Despite Voldemort stopping the curse once more, the pain still pulsed through Snape. He felt as if his blood was boiling and his muscles ached with a grueling soreness. His mouth was dry and his throat was raw from screaming. Despite the bad shape he was in, Snape had never felt safer in his life. He never took his eyes off the Hermione mirage that continually smiled at him, giving him strength when he needed it most. He was afraid if he tore his gaze from her for even a moment she'd disappear and he'd be alone again in a place he hated the most.

"Severus," Hermione said seriously, "Think of the answer. I cut through evil like a double-edged sword, and chaos flees at my approach. Balance I single-handedly upraise, through battles fought with heart and mind, instead of with my gaze. Severus, this is something you want and shall have before the war is over."

Snape thought long and hard about the clue she gave to him. What was something he wanted before the war was over (besides Hermione of course)? What could be something that he desired, something he wanted to be done? Finally, Snape knew the answer, but just before he could speak it, he suddenly heard both Voldemort and Lucius bellow, "Crucio!"

The curse that hit Snape was twice the amount any normal person could have endured, hard like two bolts of lightening. It was the most painful thing he had ever felt! It hurt more than any Crucio he had ever received! He felt the flesh on his shoulder blade tear open after Lucius's curse hit his back. Just one more scar to add to the rest of the collection on his body. Finally, he threw his head back and screamed the answer to Hermione's riddle.

"JUSTICE!" he screamed. "JUSTICE!"

Voldemort stopped his attack while Lucius continued his onslaught on Severus.

"MALFOY STOP!" the Dark Lord bellowed.

Lucius stopped with a satisfied smirk on his face as he watched Snape collapse on the floor shaking uncontrollably with blood seeping from his mouth and nose. However, Malfoy stopped smirking and slightly blanched upon seeing Voldemort sneering at him.

"MALFOY YOU FOOL!" Voldemort hissed, "THIS WAS A GAME, NOT A KILLING SPREE! WE NEED HIM TO LIVE SO HE CAN INFORM US ABOUT HOGWARTS!"

"I'm sorry, my lord," Lucius bowed, "but I was..."

"I know. You didn't want him to beat you again! However, you're very lucky he's still alive and breathing, you imbecile, for if his heart HAD given out and he died, YOU would pay dearly with your own life! If you try anything like that again, I'll have you eat your own flesh and blood!"

"Yes, my lord," Malfoy bowed while he glared at Snape who was coughing up blood and struggling to push himself off the floor.

"I think," Voldemort continued, "that in your pain, Severus, that you forgot that the word is 'mercy,' not 'justice.' However, I think you've endured enough for one night. After all, we don't want to have Dumbledore become suspicious."

Voldemort then turned his attention to the other Death Eaters present, eyeing them with an ice-cold glare.

"Since I don't think ANY of you could ever endure a pain such as that, I declare Snape the winner of this mercy game!" he spat. "Now arise, Severus."

Snape's vision was blurred as he fought not to pass out. He felt the bile rising from his stomach, but he managed to keep it down. Instead, he coughed up more blood and struggled to breathe.

'Get up, Severus,' he thought to himself as he forced his sore legs to move under him, 'Get up now! Do it for the Order, do it for all the wizards, do it... for her.'

Snape winced in pain as he slowly pushed himself off the floor and sat in a kneeling position before finally lifting himself up and stand on his feet, which were also sore from the pain. He staggered at first as his legs almost gave out under his weight, but he managed to steady himself and stand to face Voldemort with his mask partially red from the blood and his hands still slightly shaking.

"Well done, my most faithful servant," Voldemort drawled.

"Thank you, Master," Snape said with his voice sore and gruffly as he bowed his head.

"Once again you have out done your colleagues. It's a shame you can't join us tomorrow, Severus, since you DO teach those damn children, but we need you there to spy on that old fool and the boy more than we need you at Hogsmeade."

"I agree, Master, but I know once you come into power, I will no longer have to keep this facade."

"No, you will not," Voldemort smiled slyly. "You will be by my right side as one of my closest advisors."

"Thank you, Master. I look forward to the day," Snape lied.

"I know my faithful servant. Now go, all of you."

"Yes, my lord," the Death Eaters answered as Voldemort turned away and went into an adjacent room, slamming the door behind him as he left.

Most of the Death Eaters Disapparated while a few stayed to boast about all the horrors they had inflicted upon unsuspecting Muggles as of late. Lucius took the opportunity to approach Severus as he slightly hobbled to a near by chair and leaned against it, afraid if he sat down he wouldn't be able to get back up.

"So sorry about that, old friend," Lucius said smoothly with that wolfish grin, "I just wanted to win. It's nothing personal."

"I understand that this isn't personal because you're not a person," Snape said coldly.

"Ah, my dear friend, I'm so glad you see it my way. No hard feelings?"

"Of course not, but it's not like you'd care if I did."

"On the contrary. I would care because it'd mean I'd have to keep my eye on you, making sure you wouldn't stab me in the back."

"I think tonight's events made it clear as to who would stab their friend in the back, old chum."

"Oh Severus, you're too funny!" Lucius laughed patting Snape hard on the back, causing him to wince in pain. "Now I must be off. I have a dinner date. Try to have a good night, Severus. I hope the soreness doesn't keep you up tonight," Lucius lied.

"Good-bye, Lucius. Give my regards to Narcissa when you see her tonight at your dinner."

"Who said I'm seeing HER for dinner?" were Lucius's last words before he gave Snape a wink and Disapparated from the Manor.

Snape sighed as he pushed himself off the chair. He felt so bad for his dear friend Narcissa. She was a good woman deep down inside, but Lucius's infidelity as well as evilness had drained her over the years. Now she was nothing more than an empty shell of herself. However, now he had to focus all his energy upon Apparating to the clearing. He closed his eyes and thought of the clearing before he felt himself suspended through space and time and left the bloodstained room in Riddle Manor with a crack.

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Hermione stretched and looked up at the stars while she lay out on a log by the clearing. They were unusually bright that night. They looked as if they were quivering they were so bright. She inhaled deeply as she allowed the scents of the forest to tantalize her senses. It was so peaceful and serene here. She only wished she could visit it more often. It was a nice change from all the hustle and bustle at Hogwarts, not to mention it'd be a nice place to study. Of course, she'd need to have the cloak to...

Suddenly, there was a loud crack that caused Hermione to jump out of her skin. She sat straight up as she looked to the clearing and saw a Death Eater standing there. She stifled a gasp, before studying him closely; making sure it was Severus before she approached him. She saw the blood against his white mask as the moonlight bathed him in an eerie glow. He was breathing rather hard and his hands were slightly shaking. He teetered for only a moment before finally collapsing into a heap on the soft forest floor. When he hit the grown, the mask slipped off revealed part of his face, confirming Hermione's thoughts that it was indeed her Potions Master returned and badly wounded from the Dark Revel.

"Severus!" Hermione gasped as she ripped off the cloak and ran to his side.

She rolled him over and took off his mask, turning his head towards her. He was sweating profusely and bleeding badly from the nose and his mouth. Dear God what did they do to him?! Hermione pulled out her wand and mutter the cleansing spell to make the bloodstains and the sweat disappear. She pulled him up so that she was cradling his upper body in her arms as she assessed his situation. He appeared to have no broken bones or head trauma, and his breathing was now shallow, but his pulse was strong. That was a good sign. Her hand brushed his bad shoulder, causing Snape to wince and moan.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a concerned look, but he didn't answer. He was too dazed to process her question. Hermione felt the wetness and warmth from the blood on his robes as she brushed her hand over his shoulder blade again before using a cleansing spell on that wound also.

"Severus," she whispered as she brought her face close to his, brushing away a few strands of hair from his face, "Severus, can you hear me?"

"H-Hermione?" he whispered back and slightly opened his eyes to look up at her. He was completely dazed and confused, however he did know one thing, and that was that the REAL Hermione was with him, so he'd be safe. He tried to give her a small smile, but found it too painful to bear.

"What happened?!" she asked anxiously.

"A game of 'mercy,' and I won," he croaked.

"Oh Lord! Did HE Crucio..."

"Yesss," Snape hissed with a dazed look on his face, "but I'll be all right... just need to get back..."

He attempted to sit up, but discovered that he couldn't. He moaned loudly as he tried again, only to find out that it was virtually impossible for the time being. He flopped back down against Hermione as he gasped in pain. That took a lot more out of him than he expected. He fought to stay awake as the world spun around him, drowning him in a sea of black.

"Hang on, Severus!" Hermione whispered, her voice distressed but strong.

She took off her school robe and covered him with it to prevent his sore muscles becoming stiff from the cold. She lifted her wand in the air and sent up a "flare," just like what Hagrid had told Harry, Ron, Draco, and her to do during their first detention at Hogwarts. Hopefully, Hagrid would see it and come to help her.

Hermione looked back to Snape who was obviously still in a lot of pain. There had to be something she could do in the mean time until Hagrid came. She couldn't give him the proper treatment a mediwitch could, but she could certainly make something that would alleviate the pain for the time being. She pointed her wand at a nearby plant and said, "Accio arnica!"

The small plant uprooted itself and went flying across the air into her hands. She then summoned some calendula, and hypercum before transfiguring a rock into a small stone bowl. She quickly stripped the leaves from the plants and threw them into the bowl before grinding them with a rock. Within seconds, she had made a foul smelling paste and scooped some onto her index finger.

"Severus," she said softly, "I made a mixture that should help with the pain as well as the bleeding."

Without wasting any time, she rubbed it into the pulse points on his body as well as the wound on his back until the paste was gone. He immediately began to feel better as his muscles relaxed and the pain subsided. She must have used some magic during the process to speed up the anesthetic.

"I'm sorry that it's not a cure," Hermione said sheepishly, "but it's what I can do until I can get you back to see Madam Pomfrey."

Snape looked at her in wonder. How did she know about this place? How did she know he was badly injured and needed assistance? She truly was amazing, his little lioness. Normally, Snape would have shook such thoughts out of his head before blasting her and her obvious disregard for the rules by venturing into the Forbidden Forest, not to mention that she had once again failed to call him by his title. However, as he stared at her, he felt no need to berate her. Instead, he felt only one thing: love. Yes, love, and there was no denying it any longer. He loved Hermione Granger.

"This is the second time you've saved me tonight," Snape said quietly, "I... I can't thank you enough."

"You needn't thank me," Hermione said just as softly.

She could have left it that... but she didn't. She felt the need to say more, to tell him how she really felt. However he had a very rough night, and there was no need for her to compound it with the confessions of her heart. That would have to be saved for a later time.

Hermione gazed into Snape's eyes intensely before adding, "I'd do it for you again in an instant... I'd do anything for you, Severus."

She looked down upon him with all the grace of an angel as she smiled warmly, melting the final layer of ice that surrounded his heart.

At that moment, Snape knew his feelings were true. He knew there was no turning back. He loved and was in love with Hermione Granger, Hogwarts' Head Girl, Gryffindor's Know-It-All, and thief of his potions and of his heart. From that day forward he'd belong to her whether she'd have him or not. If only he could call her his own as well.

Hermione blushed and diverted her gaze from his eyes. Oh man, why did she say that?! Well, that was a silly question. She knew why she said it. She said it because she loved him. Yes, that's right: she loved him. As shocking as it seemed, there was someone who did care about the snarky Potions Master. There was someone who cared if he went to the Dark Revels unscathed or not. There was someone who cared if he lived or died. There was someone who cared about and loved Severus Snape, and that person was Hermione Granger.

Severus and Hermione were snapped out of their thoughts when they suddenly heard a noise. Hermione gasped, as she feared for Severus and herself. She had to hide herself and Severus, but she couldn't drag him into the bushes. She didn't have time! The noise was getting louder and closer as Hermione racked her brain. Suddenly, she saw the cloak crumpled next to the log. Of course! Quickly, she laid Snape on the ground before she grabbed the invisible cloak. She sized it up and knew it would cover Severus. However, Snape was VERY tall, the tallest amongst the teachers except for Hagrid. Would the cloak be able to hide them both?

"Severus," Hermione whispered as she knelt by him again, "I think we can cover ourselves with this invisibility cloak, but..."

"Is that Potter's?" Snape asked with a disgusted look, as if his skin would melt off if he put on the garment.

"Yes, but don't get petty with me now! We might be able to hide from whatever is coming with the cloak, but... we're going to have to... um... huddle."

"Huddle?" Snape asked as his heart skipped a beat. If he could raise an eyebrow without it being too painful, he would.

"Um... yes," Hermione whispered, blushing. "But we've got to hurry!"

With as must gusto as she could muster, Hermione covered Snape with the cloak and then slipped under it before pulling herself close to Snape's body, as close as she could get. Her heart quickened as she felt Snape wrap an arm around her and pull her even closer. He grimaced as his sore muscles in his arm protested against the sudden movement, but his heart skipped a beat again as he felt her warm little body next to his. Oh God, this was too good to be true! Snape only wished he could hold her for the rest of the evening while they looked up at the stars. He had to suppress a gasp as he felt Hermione laid a delicate hand on his chest. She didn't know why she did that. It wasn't completely necessary, for they were both completely hidden from view; however, Hermione felt like it was appropriate, even natural.

They held their breath as the sound became louder and the Earth was now slightly vibrating beneath them. Suddenly, a huge figure lumbered into the clearing. Oh great! Just what they needed! A huge overgrown something whose diet probably consisted of wizards and witches stuck in the forest.

"Hello?!" Hermione and Severus heard Hagrid boom. "Hey, anybody out there?!"

The two of them gave a silent sigh of relief at the sound of the Groundskeeper's voice. Thank God he had seen the signal! Hermione knew Severus would be safe now that Hagrid was here. Her job was done.

"Severus," she whispered softly in his ear, causing him to quell a shiver, "Now that Hagrid is here, I'm going to roll away while wrapping myself in the cloak so that he can see you and take you back to Hogwarts."

"What about you, Miss Granger?" he whispered back in that deep velvet voice.

'Back to formalities, are we?' Hermione thought before she said, "Don't worry, Professor Snape. I'll follow you from behind in the cloak. All right?"

Snape nodded. He really wanted to say no and keep her by him, but he knew it was for the best. Besides, Hagrid was there now. Before he knew it, Hermione had pulled away (too soon, in his opinion) and rolled from him while wrapping the cloak around herself as she did, revealing Snape lying in the middle of the clearing.

"Who's there?!" Hagrid demanded as he whipped around upon hearing what sounded like the rustling of robes. Suddenly, he noticed Snape on the ground with his Death Eater mask and wand in hand looking exhausted and worn.

"Professor Snape!" Hagrid gasped as he rushed over to him, "Professor! Oh, what did those no-good buggers do to ya?! Are you all right?"

"As well as one could be after a Dark Revel, I suppose," Snape said back to his old snarky self yet still rather weak.

"Well I'll take you back to Professor Dumbledore!" the giant said as he scooped Snape into his arms and began carrying him back to Hogwarts with Hermione hot on his heels.

"Hagrid," Snape whispered as he shifted uncomfortably in Hagrid's grasp from weakness and some pain, "in case I pass out before we get back... Tell Dumbledore that... there's going to be an attack on Hogsmeade at dawn."

"At dawn?!" Hagrid gasped, "Good Merlin! We'd better get there fast then!"

Hagrid quickened his pace, much to both Snape and Hermione's discontent. Snape began to feel dizzy again as the giant moved as quickly as he could. Severus glanced behind them, wishing he could see Hermione but knowing she was right behind them frantically trying to keep up with the giant's long strides. The forest began to spin around him, and he didn't know how much longer he was going to be conscious. He looked behind him again, wanting to say something to Hermione without actually saying it.

Suddenly inspiration hit him and he said, "What is it you have to answer, but to answer you have to ask? And to ask you have to speak? And to speak you have to know, the answer."

"What was that, Professor?" Hagrid asked in confusion, but Snape passed out before he could answer.

Hermione smiled to herself upon hearing the riddle. The game was on once again, and she couldn't be happier because it was with the man she loved.

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Yea, there's chapter 10! I hope you all liked it!

- DADA Mistress