The Serpent and the Lioness

Chapter 7

Severus felt warm, warmer than he should have felt. He remembered laying down to rest inside of the small space but he hadn't remembered casting any warming charms. A light snow had started to fall and it had covered the small area completely, only a stray snowflake falling through when the wind would blow.

He felt a drop roll down his cheek slowly opened his eyes to the encompassing darkness. It was then he registered someone next to him. Their breathing was light and had an odd purring sound to it that was interrupted by small shivers that shook their frame.

His arms were pinned to his chest by their body and he could feel their cool skin against the backs of his knuckles. Their smell was faint but oddly familiar. Like something of a long lost memory. With great patience, he managed to move his upper arm from between them and retrieve the wand from his pocket.

"Lumos."

Severus held his breath and blinked dumbly down at the mass of hair that shifted closer to his chest. It couldn't have been. There was no way...He shifted and lowered the wand closer to her face. As if her hair wasn't enough to claim her identity her face sure as hell was undeniable. Long lashes rested against gentle slopped cheeks and lightly freckled near her eyes.

He shook his head, no, it wasn't possible. He pulled back the makeshift blanket. The woman let out a soft whine as the added warmth was pulled away and her arms shifted, his jaw twitched when the unforgivable scar came into view.

There was no denying. Hermione Granger had found him. How she had done so was still a great mystery; he was sure he was the only one who knew of the secret place. His mind gleefully reminded him that she had seen it before giving him a sharp reminder that he was in need of his next round of pain potions. With a small sneer, he set the wand handle first into the dirt muttering a spell to keep it glowing while he pushed himself up.

Hermione let out another deep shiver and his eyes turned downward. He noted that her lips were steadily turning blue from the cold. He pulled the sweatshirt made blanket completely free and started to wrap it around her. When he made to wrap it under her wet hip his hand grazed over the wand in her back pocket. With barely a pause he slipped it free from the damp material. It thrummed in his palm and he turned it slowly in his fingers.

Yes, this would do nicely. He glanced at her still sleeping form and gave it a gentle wave drying her mud-stained jeans and cast a new warming charm over her. The wand responded very nicely to him and he made the abrupt decision to keep it. He plucked the other wand from the dirt and with a rather graceful exchange of spells canceled and recast the Lumos flicking a small ball of light to the center of the nature made igloo.

With that settled he continued with his previous plan and wrapped the large sweatshirt over her tucking it under her where he could. Another warming spell brought the color back to her lips and he let out a deep sigh.

He was still very tired, but he knew he couldn't rest. If he had learned anything it was that Gryffindors traveled in packs. He was sure the others were looking for her. He didn't know why she had gone rogue but he was sure the others weren't going to let her disappearance go unchecked. He shifted with a wince, he was much too old to be sleeping on the frozen earth. He knew he had potions hidden in the small space but a sound off in the distance stilled him.

He could hear the unmistakable voice of Potter followed by an even deeper aged voice of Mr. Weasley. He couldn't risk taking his potions now, he had to get away before they caught him too. With a mournful look to the woman who remained fast asleep he raised her wand and disapparated.