𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 II SS/HG ✔️

Theft

Hermione yawned. Severus had gone to bed hours ago and she figured she ought to do the same. She checked her coin for any new messages and gave the Map one last look. A new speck appeared at the front gates. Hermione shuffled the Map into a smaller state to see who it might be.

A cold sweat broke over her face and armpits. The Map shook in her hands.

Tom Riddle.

The tiny footprints calmly walked up the path to the school.

How—how could he possibly—

Hermione's heart pounded in her ears.

The footprints stopped. And turned ninety-degrees towards Hagrid's hut.

Hermione jumped to her feet and sprinted to the bedroom.

"Severus!" she hissed as she shook his shoulder.

He rolled over without even opening his eyes to glare at her.

"Severus—he's here." She was afraid to speak too loudly, as if the monster might hear her.

Severus squinted at her in confusion. Then he flung away the covers.

Hermione looked down at the Map. Voldemort had paused in a blank space in front of the Forbidden Forest. She ran to the window as Severus found trousers.

Dumbledore's tomb.

Hermione pulled out her wand.

Severus came to her side, buttoning his coat. "Where?" he demanded.

Hermione handed him the Map without a word.

A massive amount of birds took to the sky and Fang began to bark.

"What is he doing?" she whispered.

The two stood at the window, unsure what to do.

Both silently watched a malevolent green beam of light streak into the sky.

When Severus made to leave, Hermione grabbed his wrist. "If he wanted you to know he'd be here, he would've told you."

She was afraid he wouldn't come back. She squeezed his wrist so hard her hand shook.

Both watched the Map until Voldemort's feet sped towards the front gate with inhuman speed. Then he was gone.

Severus yanked his wrist from Hermione's grip.

"I'm coming with you," she insisted. She Summoned her trainers.

Severus scowled at her as he set the Map on the desk. "You absolutely are not."

Hermione gave him an equally mean look as she Summoned the Invisibility Cloak. "I can go with you, or I can go alone later." As she stepped into her trainers and whipped the Cloak over her shoulders, she said, "Your choice."

Severus wordlessly turned on his heel, his frock coat and hair snapping like a whip. Hermione pulled up the hood and followed.

Nobody else in the castle had noticed the commotion.