Title: Retribution

Summary: During the war a bitter and vengeful student tries to take on Severus Snape.

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or anything related to the series.

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Up to and including HBP, not DH compatible.

A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fic, but my 100th fic in general. I decided that after years of loving the books and 99 stories it was about time I wrote something for HP. Snape/Hermione pairing.

Fear overwhelmed the young witch as she gripped her wand for all she was worth. Her muggle clothes were torn and stained with blood and dirt from days of fighting on the front line. Exhausted and running on only adrenaline she stared defiantly at the Death Eater that she had been hunting for days.

He stood calmly, his wand lowered, as though she was no threat to him. On the inside however he was more than a little worried. He knew the prodigious witch before him was capable of holding her own. She'd taken out the Death Eater Goyle before he'd had a chance to touch his wand and had caused Lucius Malfoy to lose an eye.

No longer was she the innocent Hogwarts student who would never think to use an unforgivable curse on her enemies. The war had changed her. The deaths of her friends, Ron Weasely, Neville Longbottom and the countless Hogwarts students and their families that had been slaughtered had haunted her and surged her on her quest for vengeance.

Now standing before the betrayer and murderer of Albus Dumbledore she felt at last that she would finally be making a difference. Severus Snape sneered at her as she went to raise her wand to cast the disarming spell. "Exp-" Her own wand went flying out of her hands, clattering to the cobbles of Diagon Alley.

"Did you really think you stood a chance against me Grainger?" He laughed coldly, his eyes lighting up with malicious joy.

Regardless of the fear that surged through her entire body she stood her ground and held her head high. "Yes." He answered honestly, causing her previous Potions master to scowl at her arrogance. Taking advantage of his indignation she quickly ran down the alley, past the empty shops and ruined buildings that littered Diagon Alley and towards the port key the Order had hidden there.

"Crucio!" With her hand mere inches away from the port key she was wracked with pain coursing through her entire body, which sent her sprawling to the ground. Slowly approaching her still form Snape kicked the port key, shaped as an old rickety bucket, far away from her grasp. Bending down as his prey tried to get to her feet he pressed his wand firmly against her neck. Pausing in her kneeling position Hermione stared up at him with all the venom she could muster. "You have my applause for your daring Miss Grainger…few people have lasted this long against me. Weasely certainly didn't." She surged forward at the mention of her dead friend but was kept in her place by Snape's wand, roughly pressed against her skin. Smirking Snape continued. "Such a pitiful boy, he cried as he realised he was going to die...begged for mercy and his mother!"

Snarling Hermione forced herself to stay still, trying to think of a way to escape. She wasn't going to die at the hands of Snape. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of begging for her life either though. "At least his mother loved him." She began to giggle manically as the older wizard's hand connected with her face, delivering a painful slap to her cheek.

"I see it's true what they're saying. You really have lost your mind."

Hermione continued to laugh. She had nothing to lose after all. She wouldn't die cowering and afraid. She would fight him with every last ounce of her being. "Pity, as much as it strains me to say this, you are an exceptional witch. To have you on the Dark Lord's side would have been a great advantage." His wand trailed from her neck along her jaw line like it was a hand caressing her. Forcing back a shudder she kept her gaze constantly staring in to his cold eyes.

"Are you going to kill me or not?" She inquired as though he were holding her up for an important appointment.

"Desperate to join Weasley and your precious Dumbledore?" He sneered smugly at being the cause of the deaths.

"No, you're just rather boring." Hermione grunted as he knelt down, his bodyweight pressed down on her and holding her in place regardless of the wand pressed against her windpipe. Her eyes widened as he crushed his lips against hers. He pulled away seconds later with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Goodbye Miss Grainger." He stared down at her domineeringly, ready to end her life.

"Goodbye Professor." Grinning madly she released the three small capsules she had in her hand, dropping them to the floor and causing them to explode in to clouds of thick grey smoke. Diving for her wand she called the port key to her and landed safely outside Grimwauld Place. Saved once again by the Weasley twins' portable fog. As she limped in to Grimwauld Place, she smirked at the thought of the look her potion's professor would be wearing when the fog cleared and he realised she had escaped his clutches using a Weasley joke item.

Hermione Grainger would live to fight another day. Another day that she would devote to taking down Severus Snape once and for all.

Fin.