Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, and sorry that it took me so long to post the next chapter. I've been busy with school, sick and sick again.

I'm not sure if this chapter is any good or even remotely realistic, so please review!

And I know that the title is silly. I don't exactly have a lot of imagination when it comes to titles!

Her heart was beating so hard and fast that it almost seemed to jump out of her chest. She couldn't breathe. She struggled against the man that was holding her – it was a man, judging by his voice – but to no avail. He was stronger than her. She couldn't scream. With one of his hands covering her mouth, all that she could do was mumble and cry softly. She kicked against his legs, but he did not even make a single sound.

"Now, now, Miss Granger, you should know by now that your meagre little tricks and your pleading don't work on me." She recognized the voice now. She was so surprised that she stopped struggling for a second, that she forgot to be afraid. She tried to turn around enough that she could see his face, but with the darkness and the way he held onto her she could not get more than vague glimpses. But the voice was enough.

She raised her hands, took hold of the fingers that were covering her mouth.

"Do you want to tell me that I should let go of you, Miss Granger?" he asked. She nodded. "Very well, but if you scream for your muggle parents …" She shook her head. "Do that again, Miss Granger", he commanded. She shook her head again. He let go of her mouth at once, and she took a deep breath. "Professor Snape!" she exclaimed and abruptly looked towards the windows of her house. Were her parents worried yet? Had they noticed that a stranger was in their garden?

"How? Why?" she stammered, trying to think of something to say. "They said you were on the run from the Ministry. They said you had gone to Romania or Bulgaria to hide. What are you doing here? You … you killed Professor Dumbledore. What are you doing in my garden?" She looked at him, studied him. He was still the same man that had made her Potions classes hell and teased her endlessly. He still wore the same black robe although it was dirty now, still had the same pale face, the same hooked nose and the same black hair. There was still the same mean, slightly arrogant look on his face. Where had he been all the time? How come they had not caught him yet, if he was still in England, if he was so close? Had his death eater friends helped him?

"I didn't do it", he said. Even now he sounded as if he despised her for her muggle background.

"What?" she blurted out, not quite comprehending what he had just said.

"I didn't kill Professor Dumbledore, at least not the way people said it. It was part of the plan. I was against it. I asked Dumbledore to reconsider his options, but he has always been a rather stubborn man. He sacrificed himself."

She stared at him.

"But … if Dumbledore sacrificed himself, if you did it all for us, why are you running from the Ministry? If you talk to them, they'll understand. You can go back to teaching at Hogwarts. You have nothing to fear from anybody." She was talking fast. They situation seemed surreal to her. Professor Snape, murderer (or not), potions master and her least favourite teacher was here, threatening her, but despite that they were having an almost normal conversation. What was going on? Shouldn't she be trembling with fear or think that it was a nightmare?

"Do I?" he asked and smiled a strange little half smile. "Do I really have no reason to fear? I used to be a death eater. I'm not popular with your beloved Ministry. I was Dumbledore's spy. If I go to the Ministry, the result will not be certain, and regardless of how things turn out, if I reveal the truth to anybody, Voldemort and his death eaters will hunt me down and kill me. There are worse things than Azkaban, Miss Granger. Trust me. I know that."

"But … why aren't you in Bulgaria for real then? They'd probably have a hard time finding you there."

"I'm not a coward, Miss Granger. Oh, I know how the students of Hogwarts talk behind my back and spread rumours. Did any of you try to ask me if all those silly accusations were true? You always made assumptions. I'm here because I need your help, Miss Granger, as much as I hate to admit it. You may be an annoying mudblood …" She frowned, and he smiled at her. "… but you are the best student of your year. I need you to work for the Order, against Voldemort." She shivered as she heard the name. "You …"

"I'm saying his name", he confirmed. "I dare to do it. Why turn the Dark Lord into a simple 'You know who'? Why make him less than he is? I apologize for the way I contacted you. I couldn't very well send on owl. I was waiting outside, hoping that you'd leave the house sooner or later. They are monitoring the owls nowadays. I need you to come with me and help me. There may still be hope."

She made a step back. She did not know if she could trust him. They had collected so much evidence against him during the last school year. She had never liked him, and he had never liked her. And the fact that he had entered her home made her uneasy, suspicious.

"Why didn't you ask Harry? Isn't he supposed to be the chosen one? Isn't he supposed to kill Voldemort?"

"The great Harry Potter? Somebody would have noticed. He's being watched, Miss Granger."

She nodded.

"But … what exactly do I have to do? What do you want from me?"

She did not like him, but there was something about the way he talked to her that made her believe him.

"I can't tell you that now, Miss Granger. We have to hurry. I already risked too much by staying here for so long. We'll talk as we move towards out destination.

"I have to talk to my parents."

"No."

His voice was unusually firm, almost angry. She shuddered.

"You must come with me now. You may not even leave a letter behind. Somebody will find it. Your parents will be worried of course, but they'll understand everything when you come back …"

"Don't you want to say, if I come back?"

He did not answer.