After Professor Snape and Mr. Weasley left, Hermione decided to head home. She had stayed with the Weasleys for a week, but she knew she was expected home. Once she finished packing her satchel, she said her goodbyes. The last one she walked to was Mrs. Weasley.

“Please keep me informed,” Hermione pleaded, as she hugged the Weasley matriarch.

“I will, sweetie,” Molly promised, her voice thick from tears.

Hermione was happy that her parents allowed their fireplace to be connected to the Floo network. It made it so much easier for her to get back and forth. Especially towards the end of the summer when she would stay the last few days and catch the train with the Weasleys.

Walking over to the hearth, Hermione gathered some Floo powder and called out, “Granger residence” before disappearing in a set of green flames.

Stepping out of the fireplace, Hermione was greeted by her mother.

“Hello sweetie,” Jean Granger said, hugging her daughter.

“Hi, mum.” Hermione gripped the back her her mother's blouse as she held on to her mother.

Feeling her little girl tensing in her arms, Jean tighten her hold of her daughter.

“What's wrong, sweetie?”

“Harry's missing.” Hermione's resolve completely gone, tears began flowing from her eyes.

“Oh, sweetie,” Jean kissed the top of her daughters head. “Do you know anything about where he is?”

Hermione just shook her head in her mother's arms. Jean knew that as distraught as she was she would not get and answer to her questions so she just continued to hold her weeping daughter until she calmed down.

Later that night, Hermione and her mother were sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea when Mr. Granger came into the house carrying the days post and paper. He put the paper and mail on the table and kissed Hermione on the crown of her head and then lightly kissed his wife on the lips. Hermione smiled at the show of affection that her parents displayed and looked down. Looking at the paper, she quickly grasped it and read the headline.

~~~A~~~

Still in search of missing child

It has been two weeks and the Bobbies are still stumped in finding out who the child was that was abducted two weeks ago. We at the paper have just received a snap shot from the surveillance tape at Kings Cross Station. We are asking the populace for any information as to who this child is in the picture to please contact the Bobbies.....

~~~A~~~

Hermione couldn't believe what she was reading. Her hands were gripping the paper so hard that it was crinkling in her hands. She didn't even hear her parents trying and failing to get her attention. She only saw that still picture from the camera. Even though it was grainy and a little washed out, she could make out that it was Harry.

Once her she got movement back to her limbs, she quickly got up, rushed out of the kitchen and headed for the fireplace. Not paying attention to her parents exclamations, she threw the powder into the floo and quickly blurted out the Weasley's name before vanishing in a green flame.

She stepped through the hearth surprising everyone in the room. Evidently, Professor Snape and Mr. Weasley were back for they were talking to Mrs. Weasley when Hermione emerged from the floo.

“Hermione,” Molly squeaked in surprised, seeing the child return. “What are you doing? What's wrong?” Molly quickly asked, noticing the pale look that Hermione had.

“I think I know who might have took Harry,” Hermione proclaimed. Her voice thick with emotion.

Severus walked over to the shocked Gryffindor and saw the paper that she was clutching in her hand. Trying to pry the paper from her hand took some doing. Severus, with a gentle nature that no one knew he possessed, gripped the young girl's wrist and slowly pried her fingers from around the paper. She looked up at her Professor with weary eyes, not believing what she was seeing. So much had happened in the past few minutes that she couldn't believe that the scariest Professor in the history of Hogwarts was being so gentle with her.

Once Severus retrieved the paper from Hermione's hand, still holding to her wrist with one hand, he put the paper under his arm and fished a calming draught out of his pocket and handed it to the young witch. Gently urging her to drink, she did and began to calm.

“Molly,” Severus voice was low and soothing. “I think Ms. Granger may need some hot chocolate to completely calm down from her state of shock.”

Severus looked over at the Weasleys and saw that Molly too had the same look of shock on her face as Hermione.

“Molly.” Severus said with a little more force to bring her out of her thoughts. “Bring hot chocolate for everyone.”

Molly blinked a couple of time as if trying to process what she had just witnessed, but did as she was asked. When Molly came back with the drinks on a platter, Hermione was sitting on the couch, her color still pale. Severus and Arthur were standing by the fireplace reading the paper that Hermione brought with her, looking no better than when they came back from the station. Molly set the platter down on the small table in front of the couch and sat down beside Hermione.

“Severus,” Molly called out.

“The Muggles suspect that he was probably kidnapped by someone in the sex trade. They've been having problems with that for a while.” Severus' voice a low growl. He threw down the paper grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it in the fire so hard that some of the powder came back and hit Arthur in the face.

“Prince Manor,” Severus growled out and disappeared.

______0000_____00000_________0000___0000___

Harry's wall was completely crumbled. Tears leaked from his eyes. In the beginning he was hoping to be rescued; now all he wanted was to just die. He didn't know if he could take one more night with the bastard. Last night was just too much. He never felt so disgusted in himself.

How could he? It was just all too much.

The one voice that made it so that he could try and forget what was happening to him each and every night was no longer the loudest voice in his head. Now all he could hear was the grunts and moans of the bastard.

Trying to block out that noise, Harry tried to concentrate on something else. Anything else. Then something popped into his head.

Harry was standing on the steps seeing Professor Quirrell standing by the mirror. Then he hears his own voice saying; “Snape was trying to save me?” After that his mind began to fill with the different times he had been in the Potion Master's presence. His heart ached more.

“Please, Professor,” Harry sobbed quietly in the room, alone. “Please save me, again.”

______0000____0000_____000000___0000______00

Severus walked out of the hearth and headed straight for his lab. With determined steps, Severus went straight to his cupboard and got what he was looking for. He looked at the time and saw that it was close to dinner.

A small smirk graced his lips as he turned and walked out of the lab. His robes billowing after him. Walking towards the guest in his house, he found Draco in his room.

“Dragon,” Severus voice was calm. “It's time for supper. Come.”

Severus turned and left not seeing if Draco was following.

Draco got up and walked out of his room and followed his godfather to the dining room. When Draco made it to the dining room, Severus was already sitting at his usual spot and dinner was already on the table.

They ate in comfortable silence, like usual. Severus made casual glances to his godson, but did not say one word.

When they were both finished, Severus sat back in his chair, looked at his godson.

“Draco,” again, Severus voice was calm, not once indicating the storm of anger that was brewing underneath. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Draco looked up smugly at his godfather.

“Potter's getting exactly what he deserves,” sneered Draco.