Severus Snape stands behind a tall oak tree, watching as the light blue silhouette of his Doe Patronus comes bounding into view across the lake. He grasps his wand in his hand, trying everything to keep his mind blank, but he can't stop the niggling doubt creep into it- was he right in doing this? He knew he was risking everything to guide Harry to the sword but...this had been the only way to do so without getting caught. His thoughts're soon cut off when he sees a figure emerge from the trees, and his heart gives a jolt when he recognises it to be the Potter boy.

Finally.

Twigs snap underneath his sneakers and Severus watches him step around thick branches that've fallen from the trees, his eyes never leaving the Patronus. Eventually, it stops in the middle of the lake and Harry comes to a gradual halt, watching it form into a bright blue ball then drop through the ice and into the water, vanishing from sight. Through the silence, Severus can hear him say "Lumos" and a dim light appears from the tip of Harrys wand. As he carefully steps onto the ice and begins walking towards the place where the light'd been.

He feels himself smile when he realises that his plan's perfectly unfolding in front of him. It had been risky, very risky; but if he'd known the Potter boy, he would've followed the blasted Patronus anywhere, even if it had lead him to a frozen lake in the middle of the Forest. But the smile drops when he sees Potter raise his head and look around, as if expecting somebody, and Severus quickly jumps back behind the tree, his heart beating wildly. He leans his forehead against the tree and waits a few seconds, until he hears Harry murmur "Diffindo" and looks back out in time to see him walk back to the edge of the lake and hurriedly undress.

Clad only in his underwear, and gripping his wand, Harry takes it step by step towards the water, his breath coming out in small clouds. His movements are exceedingly slow but Severus still continues watching, seeing him slowly crouch down before dropping his wand beside him and gazing down at the water. For a moment, Severus contemplates showing himself, just to yell for Potter to hurry up, but he stays true to his word and keeps hidden in the darkness, pulling his cloak over himself as he lowers his wand to his side. Potter isn't in any true danger out here and for all he knows, the snatchers're done for the night. Plus, he was able to sense an enchantment had been put around their camping spot when he'd stepped into the Forest, but he still doesn't pocket the instrument. Just incase.

It feels like an eternity, but eventually, Harry does jump into the water, and Severus' mouth falls slightly agape. He carefully steps out, half his body still behind the tree, and he curls his fingers around its' trunk, his nails digging into the bark. He had done it. He had actually dived in. Seconds tick by, then seconds turn into minutes. Severus frowns. Where was the boy? His blood suddenly goes to ice when he sees bubbles pop up on the surface of the water. Oh no. He swallows, considering whether or not to take yet another huge risk and rescue him, but he finds himself going back behind the tree and drawing his wand when movement occurs close to where he's stood.

Though his automatic response would be to step out and cast an attack, he's still in spy mode, despite what he's doing right this very minute, and stays in place, but his careful gaze still lingers on the spot. Soon, the silhouette of a figure appears and he raises his wand a little higher when he notices they have their own wand out, the end shining, and he readies himself to defend the boy when…

He sees a mop of bright red hair atop the figures head.

Severus tucks himself back behind the tree just in time. He presses his back against the trunk and listens intently for Weasleys footsteps stepping onto the ice and it's then that he realises he's come to save him, right on the dot too. Severus swallows and waits until he hears him dive in, before looking back out to watch the events play. This wasn't part of the plan at all. But thank Merlin Weasley'd shown up. He's never been so grateful for his presence as he is now.

Severus clutches the trunk again as he waits, his wand at his side, and relief floods over him when he sees Weasley emerge out of the water, grabbing his wand and dragging him across the lake to solid ground. Weasley's sopping wet and Potter's breathing hard, fumbling for his glasses with one hand while Weasley stands a little away to let him get his bearings. If he hadn't been looking closely, he would've missed the Gryffindor Sword in Weasleys frozen hand, glinting in the light of the moon.

He's safe. Oh thank Merlin he's safe. And he's got the Sword too.

With his mission now complete, Severus smiles and closes his eyes to apparate, but as he's listening to the duo talking, it suddenly dawns on him that he's missing something. His eyes fly open and he frowns at the tree, wondering what on earth it could be, when the Granger girls name comes up in the boys conversation.

Of course.

Severus steps away and performs an enchantment on himself, so he's completely hidden from them. His wand drawn in front of him, he walks off from the tree and towards where Potter and Granger'd set up camp, having seen the spot when he'd first come here. The boys talking becomes more and more distant as he nears the tent until it's just a faint mumble and he shakes his head. No one was around, but still- they couldn't talk quietly for a minute? What if snatchers had been right near them?

The flap hasn't been zipped right up, he notices, and he cautiously approaches it, his hand outstretched while the other reaches forward for the wand to gently move the tents flap aside. Finally, he steps up and carefully looks in to see Granger's lying asleep on the bottom half of a bunkbed, facing him with her hair pooled out on the pillow. Her hands're tucked underneath her head and she's dressed in a thick woolen jacket, a small makeshift fire burning in a jar right beside her to keep her warm. Despite himself, Severus feels that familiar relief break over him. They're all okay.

She suddenly stirs and Severus backs out, putting his wand at his side again. He draws his robe tighter around him and his heart begins to race when he sees her silhouette slowly move, until she's perched on the edge with her feet to the ground,

"Harry? Is that you?"

Her voice's thick with sleep and her movements're slow as she stands, starting to speak a little more clearer as she gains her bearings, "Harry?"

Closing his eyes again, Severus wastes no time in apparating away, the last thing his ears pick up being Granger voicing another "Harry?" before he's gone from the tent.

Hermiones mouth's run dry, from both grogginess and panic, and she steps through the flap and turns a sharp right, bracing to spit a spell, but when she's met with simple air, she frowns and feels her heart gradually slow. She mutters a faint "Lumos" and looks around, even circling the tent, but as expected, nobody's there. Confusion bubbles in her mind and she has no choice but to head back to bed, swearing she'd seen a someone standing right outside. She sighs and settles back down, pocketing her wand and curling up for another rest, and she doesn't wake again until she hears her name being called, this time recognising it to be Harrys voice.

It's been hours since Ron turned up and still, Hermione can't rid the aching bitterness inside her chest. She's never felt so upset with him before and it's truly eating at her, so she buries herself in books to ignore it. She's placed herself on the other side of the tent, while Harry takes the top bunk, as Ron's crashed from exhaustion on the bottom one. She can hear his snores reverberate throughout the tent and she can't help but smile in amusement; yes, she was extremely angry with him, but...he's here. He's here and he's alive. She can't be mad at him for that. But still she stays hunched into herself with her book on her knees, her wrist aching from holding it up so long. She's about halfway through before a thought pops into her mind and she sighs as she turns a page,

"Harry?" She says softly as not to wake Ron. She knows Harry isn't asleep because she can hear him muttering aloud as to how he should fix his wand. In a moment, she hears the top bunk move and Harrys footsteps sound on the wooden floors before he appears in front of her, his hair tousled and still a little wet from...who knows where. They still hadn't told her how they got the Sword.

"Yeah?"

She bites her lip, hesitating as she shuts the book and puts it beside her. She wonders if she'd just been imagining things, or if she actually had seen a figure outside their tent. Whatever it was, real or fake, Harry wouldn't make fun of her for her. She had every right to feel jumpy, especially being out in the middle of the woods with Snatchers round every corner.

When he sees she's taking her time for an answer, he sits in a chair across from her, both listening to Rons snores. Finally, Hermione meets his eyes and she sighs,

"When you were getting the Sword…" She pauses to find the right words and Harry nods to urge her to continue, "Did-Did you see anyone? I mean…" She stops herself, now realising how incredibly ridiculous she sounds, but at Harrys face, forces herself to keep going, "Was there any movements or...anyone in the shadows...or something?"

Harry frowns, and leans forward in concern, "No, Hermione, why? Did you see somebody?"

Hermione hesitates again, "I...I thought I did. They were standing right outside the tent."

At this, Harry gets up and goes over to the flap, grabbing his wand from the top bunk. Hermione briskly follows, her heart picking up speed. He steps out, twigs breaking underneath his sneakers, and they both look around, but the only sound around them is Ron. The forest is completely deserted and while Hermione should feel proud for her enchantment having lasted through the night, she's too swamped with worry to do so.

"What did they look like?

She jumps when she hears Harrys voice next to her and she quickly composes herself, trying to remember last night, "They-They were tall and...they had a cloak."

Harrys brows knit together, "Did they come inside?"

Hermione firmly shakes her head, feeling ill when a thought comes to her. What if they had? What if they'd taken something or….or worse, what if it was a Snatcher, who'd….done things…

She's stripped from her mind when Harry takes a last look before putting his wand in his jeans pocket, "Whoever it was...they're gone now." He says softly to reassure her and Hermione gives a relieved sigh. Inside the tent, Rons snores somehow get louder and she quietly giggles to herself, Harry turning to go back inside with Hermione right behind him. For now, her panic's subsided.

Severus steps out from behind the Maple tree, having watched the scene in front of him. He hadn't realised how much he'd scared Granger, and if he'd just left after seeing Weasley, he wouldn't of made her so jittery in such a small moment. He sighs and leans his forehead against the bark, frowning. For a few seconds, he considers conjuring a Patronus, suddenly needing the comfort after what he'd unintentionally done, but when he hears Weasleys snores jerk him awake, he swallows and apparates away, swearing to never step foot in this Forest again.