This is a very dark one-shot. Please, if you are sensitive to violence, do not continue.
Severus apparated into the throne room and his eyes instantly went to the dais, seeking out the Dark Lord. Instead, his heart slammed into his throat, his stomach twisted over itself, and he was seized by the urge to vomit. She was here. She shouldn't be here. She couldn't be here. She was supposed to be safe. He had worked so hard to make sure that she was safe. She was going to die here. She couldn't die here.
He pushed his way toward the front of the crowd without thinking. The Death Eaters were like hyenas tonight. They recognized her and they were excited for the show. A great blow would be dealt to the Order tonight. Unbeknownst to them, a great blow would be dealt to him tonight. Her face carefully blank, her eyes roamed the crowd before coming to rest on him. He hoped that he was able to school his expression as he pushed into her mind.
"Hermione." Even within her mind he wanted to cringe at the open emotion.
"Be strong," she told him and pushed the memory of their first kiss at him. In quick succession, she showed him the night he killed Albus as she watched his body fall from the tower, she showed him running into the night, away from her. "You have important work to do. You can do this. Just keep your mouth shut, stand back, and watch. And Severus? I love you."
"Calm yourselves," hissed the Dark Lord from where he lounged in his throne. "Let us begin."
It took a monumental effort to keep his dinner down, keep his wand away, keep his face calm. He wanted nothing more than to leap onto the dais, wand blazing, and whisk her away to safety. It would take the mass of Death Eaters at his back a total of zero point four seconds to strike them both down. She wanted him to continue. She still had faith that he could help them win the war. Tonight, he had faith in nothing.
"As you can see, our guest of honor tonight is Miss Hermione Granger, Potter's dirty Mudblood whore." The monster that was once a man grinned maliciously while he waited for the cheers and whistles to die off. "One of you will have the privilege of entertaining our guest this evening. Do make sure she isn't too bored with us. We have a reputation to uphold." He paused, scanning the faces of his most loyal followers. "Do we have any volunteers?" At least a dozen voices raised throughout the room.
Severus remained silent, staring stonily at her seemingly calm face. Why was she here? She must have been caught, of course, but how could she be so careless? How could she do this to him? How… How did she think that he would survive watching this?
"Severus, my good and faithful servant."
His black eyes snapped to the Dark Lord. No. He could not possibly be asking this of him. No.
"You have hated the Mudblood for years, have you not? And with more reason than the rest of us. You have exercised great restraint through these years, unable to lay a hand on her. Tonight, you may exact your dues." He waited expectantly for gratitude. He was bestowing a great honor upon one of his most loyal.
No. No. No no no. He sought out the cold, steel grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy. No.
"I have, My Lord," he said when his eyes returned to his master.
"My Lord," called Malfoy Sr., "if I may, I feel that I also have a claim on the girl."
Severus felt his chest deflate. He had hoped that his best friend might see his hesitation. He had never shared with Lucius the nature of his relationship with Hermione, but he had suspected on more than one occasion that the other man might have had an idea.
A frown creased his face, but the Dark Lord waved his hand for Lucius to continue. Taking a step forward, Lucius continued, "The Mudblood has humiliated the Malfoy family repeatedly for years. She had bested my son in classes and mouthed off far too many times. I would like the petition for honor of entertaining her this evening, if it pleases you, My Lord."
Hermione, who was familiar with the relationship between Lucius Malfoy and her lover watched on impassively. She longed to speak with him again but she didn't dare with Voldemort's full focus on him. She was going to die tonight. She was. But he did not have to. He needed to continue passing information to Harry. Without her, Harry would need more help than ever before. Her heart broke for her Severus.
"Severus?" The Dark Lord asked.
Severus almost thought the once-man wanted them to battle it out for her. "If it pleases My Lord, I will allow it. Lucius takes the honor of his family quite seriously."
He deliberated for a moment, regarding his followers thoughtfully. "I will allow it."
Lucius's head bowed. "Thank you, My Lord."
Severus felt all the breath leave his body. The feeling wasn't quite relief. He didn't think that he would ever feel relief again in his life. But at least he wouldn't be the one to do it. He vowed that he would tell Lucius what he had done for him after this night was done. He would owe it to him.
"However, I would hate to deprive Severus of his victory over the girl. You may share."
The men exchanged a long look and bowed.
"Begin," he instructed, "and make it good."
If he hadn't been moving, he would have looked to see if his legs were still attached to him, as he seemed to be floating more than anything else. This couldn't be happening. He had killed a great many people. This was not new. He had taken many lives on this very dais in front of this very crowd. But he had never loved any of them. Severus had thought that he was a broken man. He was wrong. He had never been so broken as he was right in this moment. He kept his face schooled. He loved her. All for the greater good. The greater good would need him. He stopped before her and cocked his head to one side as his wand slid into his hand. His heart hammered in his chest.
She screamed, falling to the floor as a jet of red light hit her square in the chest. She seemed to be trying to hold in the screaming, even as little bolts of red sparked off her skin. He turned to look at Lucius standing just behind his shoulder, his face twisted while he leveled his wand at the girl on the floor. Severus hadn't even heard him cast the thing. Finally, the red faded and she was left panting. Her eyes sought him out and he felt his heart crack. He couldn't...
"Sectumsempra," he said tonelessly. Her shriek slashed into him deeper than his spell had done to her. Blood was already leaking onto the floor from the gouge in her side. Her shirt was ripped and he could vaguely see the pulsing of an organ, likely intestines from the placement of the wound. He fought not to be sick. What was left of his soul shriveled. He couldn't bring himself to care if anyone noticed the way he staggered back from her ever so slightly. His heart was bleeding. He glanced down at his shirt and was surprised to find that nothing was oozing. He should be as sliced open as she was.
He glanced toward Lucius, who was staring contemplatively at the wound in her side. Before he realized what was happening, Lucius had aimed a vicious kick at the gaping hole. While she screamed and curled in on herself, Lucius shook his shoe in disgust. Severus noticed the gore sticking to the fine Italian leather. "Reducto," the man snarled, aiming at her knee. She was sobbing now. It took everything in him not to fall to his knees and do the same.
It was his turn again. He had to… "Sectumsempra," he repeated. Another deep slash opened down her chest. He wanted to end this. He wanted it to stop. He couldn't imagine a world without her. He couldn't do it. He could see ribs through the slit. There was more blood now. He wasn't comforted that she would bleed to death sooner rather than later.
"Expulso." Her body flew through the air, landing a meter and a half off. There was blood smeared across the floor where her body had slid. Lucius strode to stand over her.
A whimper told him that she was still alive. All the gods in the sky have mercy. He wanted her agony to end. He wanted to give her that. He desperately wanted to hold on to her as long as he could. He wanted to snatch her up and run. He forced himself to level his wand on her prone form. His strength failed him. The moment stretched onward. Lucius glanced in his direction, saw his frozen stance.
"Avada Kedavra," the blonde intoned. Her body jerked once and was still.
Severus felt the world swim. He hardly noticed the deafening roar from the watching Death Eaters. This wasn't real. She couldn't be gone. He took the few steps to her side, looking down at her. Blank eyes stared back. The last of his heart was dead. Gone. He had thought he was broken walking onto the dais only minutes earlier. Now? He truly knew the definition of the word. He would do his duty – for her. He would help Potter take down this fucker once and for all. He would not survive this war. He would go to her in the end. One way or another.
He and Lucius did not speak that night of what had transpired, but when he showed up on the steps of Malfoy Manor and requested a strong glass of whisky and company for the evening, Lucius let him in and said nothing about the puffiness of his face or the dead look in his eyes.
A/N: Oddly enough, I dreamed this up while crocheting cute little cat earrings. I'd love to hear your thoughts.