In The Dungeon

Chapter 8

 *Hermione POV*

We landed hard on the ground and I wasn't sure where we were. It was still dark out and it was cold, but I didn't have much on me to keep warm though. I didn't want to risk using magic yet. We weren't safe yet. We need to keep moving, we had to, so we didn't get caught, but I was so tired, I didn't want to move. I just wanted to sleep. Draco turned toward me, and I could still feel the spasms going through him.

"Come on, we have to get undercover. We are too exposed. We have to hide and keeping moving, just a little longer and then we can rest." Draco said, taking lead. How could he think straight? Just the fresh air was making me dizzy. But, standing up straight and moving? I couldn't even think of it. "I know you are tired Hermione, but the sooner we get out of the open the quicker we can think things through."

I nodded, and I could feel the tears that have made their way onto my face running down my chin. It hasn't really sunk in yet that we are out. We are finally out of that hell hole of a dungeon. What day is it? What time is it, besides the obvious fact that it is night? Where are we? What are we going to do?

I felt Draco pull me towards the direction of what I guess were trees, more than I actually saw where we were going. Tears and exhaustion were making it hard to see. We both stumbled along, to afraid and cautious to use our wands for light, until we had made it into the woods. It was colder in the trees and darker due to the treetops covering the moon. It was the safest I had felt since we had landed a couple minutes ago.

"Please, can we stop? I am so tired Draco." I whispered, to worried to talk any louder, and probably couldn't with how little use I have had speaking.

I watched as he looked everywhere around us. Up the trees, all the way in a circle, never letting go of me and I not letting go of him. I watched him nod and we just sunk to the ground where we were. No matter how much we want to stand and walk the number of things we have been through make that impossible.

As I turned to look at Draco, I feel a smile spread across my face and before I know it I am laughing. It isn't long until Draco is laughing right along with me. We should be quiet, but the relief and even some hysteria has hit, and we can't stop. It felt nice, laughing. I hadn't done that since I was taken, and it felt nice to laugh with someone who I had become close too. While the circumstances weren't ideal, it worked. We were finally free from that place and the happiness of just knowing that there was a chance that things were going to be better for us, made our laughter worth it.

*Severus Snape POV*

Things these past few weeks have been anything, but normal. It started normal, all the annoyances going off to Hogsmeade for their weekend fun, which I call my day filled with solitude. It was normal, great, until lunch when I noticed that Draco had come in looking pale. I would have to talk to him before he went home. I knew what was waiting for him there and try as I might there isn't enough evidence to have them caught. I'm not on the inside anymore since at the end of the war my part of it had to be made known while I was lying on my death bed, and then somehow Ms. Granger made a cure with notes she had found in my desk.

That was the other thing that was noticed. Potter, Weasley, and the girl Weasley came back to the castle without her. I watched as they looked around the Great Hall, searching for something, someone, and watched as they all frowned.

Then, it got even worse in the morning when an unrecognizable Patronus came into the Hall during breakfast before everyone left.

"We have Hermione Granger." Is all it said, and everyone went silent, before it became an uproar. I could see the worry on Potter and the Weasley's faces, no doubt they are feeling guilt right about now, being the Gryffindors that they are. I turned toward Minerva whose face had turned ashen. I knew that she wouldn't be able to make the announcement, so I stood and held my wand to my throat.