Disclaimer & Author's Note: Harry Potter does not, unfortunately, belong to me.

This is my attempt at a full-length fanfiction. While I have the first several chapters written (and they do get longer, promise), I don't really know how long this fic will be. Please read, enjoy, and review. Thank you! :)

He's supposedly very handsome. Though no one has seen his face.

I heard he's cruel and unforgiving.

Can you blame him? In times like these, we all should probably be.

The Snake King. That's who the women were talking about. Rumors of the man had been spreading for the last several years. Hermione was convinced he was nothing more than a murderer. Instead of helping the Aurors, or even the Order, capture the remaining Death Eaters running rampant, the Snake King was killing them off. He took it upon himself to be judge, jury, and executioner.

Hermione ground her teeth and ducked out the door of the bookshop. The rain was still drizzling from the dark grey clouds overhead. She tightened her cloak, making sure her hood was secure. She wasn't supposed to be out today. They'd be mad if they knew. Glancing left and right, she hurried across the street, her feet splashing in puddles along the way. With the rain, not many people were out and about. As she neared the apparation point, a faint moan off one of the alleys caught her attention. It sounded pained.

"Not your business," she mumbled under her breath but turned down the alley anyway.

There was a stack of large crates, and behind them, someone was sitting with their feet sticking out. Her heart began to race as she moved closer. What if this was a trap? What if someone had recognized her? She ran her tongue across and then bit down on her bottom lip, a habit she'd picked up when nervous. When she looked around the crates, she found a young man, probably a few years younger than herself. Despite the rain, she could tell he was sweating profusely. His dark hair was dampened, sticking to his forehead. His skin was pale. This wouldn't have seemed so bad if not for the dark blue lines crawling up his neck. They disappeared beneath his collar, but she imagined they continued on his body. She reached out, about to grab his arm and see if the lines were there too when he reached up and grabbed her wrist. Gasping, she looked back up at his face. Dull green eyes looked back at her. "H-help...me..." he said.

Hermione's eyes darted back to the man's throat. She'd only seen this poison's effects once in person, but she'd read about multiple cases. He needed help, quick.

Splash! She snapped her head to the left. A cloaked figure was standing in the entrance to the alley, another one behind him. Squinting, she could make out the small white design on their dark cloaks. Death Eaters. She pushed her cloak to the side, grabbing her wand from where she had strapped it to her thigh. The Death Eaters began walking toward her, their wands in their hands. Running through a list of spells in her mind calmed her nerves. It had been a while since she'd been in a fight. Harry had been adamant she stay hidden away for the better part of the last year. Not that she completely blamed him. Losing one friend was hard enough.

Once the Death Eaters were in range, the shorter one called out, "Drop your wand. We're not here for you. We only want the man."

He must've meant it, otherwise, he'd have just taken her wand by disarming her. She glanced down at the man sitting against the wall. His breath was coming in shallow pants. His eyes were half-open, watching her. Looking back at the two men in front of her, she replied, "I'm afraid I can't do that."

The men chuckled and shrugged, and she knew they preferred the fight anyway. As they cast spells, she threw up a protective shield with a shout of "Protego!"

I don't have time for this, she thought. I have to get him out of here.

"Repello Inimicum," she whispered softly, watching as the charm stretched before her from one side of the alley to the other. Why fight unnecessarily when she could take them out this way? The Death Eaters wore their masks, so she wasn't sure who she had just ultimately brought to their death.

Just as they closed in on her charm, about to step into it and disintegrate, a tug on her wrist pulled her off balance. She fell onto the lap of the young man. He gripped her wrist in one hand, hard enough to make her let go of her wand and shout. He grabbed her wand and she watched as the tip lit with a familiar color. A moment later and she was whisked away.

Side-along apparation was not Hermione's favorite mode of travel, especially when she wasn't prepared for it. When they reached the destination, she stood up shakily and held her stomach, wondering if she was going to puke. She glanced behind her to see the young man's arm fall to the side, her wand clattering from his hand. Looking around, she noted that they were inside an infirmary of sorts. She hurried to one of the shelves, noting a box labeled "bezoars." It should work, she thought as she lifted the lid and grabbed one. Hurrying back to his side, she pried open his mouth and shoved the bezoar in, urging him quietly to swallow it. She massaged his throat gently to help guide it down.

Suddenly a door behind her crashed open. She spun quickly, snatching her wand off the floor. "Expelliarmus!" The newcomer shouted just as she was getting ready to do the same.

Her wand flew from her hand and she watched as the wizard easily picked it from the air. Like her, he wore a cloak with a hood, hiding his face. His cloak did not bear the Dark Mark, and she assumed he wasn't a Death Eater. The man behind her had brought them here, so it must be safe enough. "Remove your hood," the man in the doorway ordered, his wand still trained on her.

Hermione moved slowly, bringing her hands up to clutch the sides of her hood. Harry was going to be furious when she got home. As she pulled her hood back, the wizard before her drew in a sharp breath. Not expecting a woman? she wondered.

"Well, this is a surprise," he said, stepping further into the room. He reached up with a gloved hand and grasped his own hood. As he pulled it off, blond hair shined in the dim light. Slate grey eyes peered at her, amusement present in their gaze. His mouth twisted into a familiar smirk that she hadn't seen in a long time.

"It's been a while, Granger," Draco Malfoy said, holding her wand back out to her.