Really excited to know where this story is going. All suggestions are welcome!
*Disclaimer: JKR owns a bunch of wonderful characters. I own a cat who chews through my phone charger*
Chapter 2-
Severus Snape paced his private office feverishly, occasionally thrusting his wand into the air to break whatever valuable vase or talisman that he saw fit. Shards of glass sprinkled at his feet after he sent a sharp jab at a delicate sculpture that had been taking residence on his shelf. Damn you Albus. When Dumbledore had first made the request for Snape to kill him, he viewed it as a selfless thing. The headmaster had gazed at him with blue eyes brimming with sorrow, with regrets. He had used all of his powers of persuasion to get Snape to agree with the plan. Snape had seen the headmaster as a hero, valiant even in his old age. Now, Snape saw it as selfishness, a wolf in lamb's clothing. Dumbledore had chosen the easy way out and had the ticket of a martyr to accompany him. The Order had virtually crumbled apart and Snape was left kissing the robes of his dear Master, stuck in the same place in which he had started. Nothing had changed. Everything had changed. Damn you Albus. I hope you rot in whatever fucking hell you ended up in.
There would be an auction tonight at Malfoy Manor and the Dark Lord had insisted that everyone were to attend. Snape found the idea ludicrous, knowing full well that he would never touch any dark object that Malfoy pushed towards him. None of the less, Snape grabbed his gold and tucked it into his robes to at least appear that he was interested.
The parlor of the Malfoy Manor was full of women, primped and tucked into perfection, smiles tight and laughter high pitched. Their gowns looked expensive and in Snape's opinion, made them look like overstuffed chickens, squawking around at the prospect of a mate. Or a quick fuck.
"Severus!" Lucius Malfoy appeared, always remarkably on time, at Snape's side, "My good friend! Surely you must know that tonight's festivities take place in the dungeons," Lucius winked and pointed below their feet.
"I didn't plan on missing it," Snape smirked, "I only came to take a good look at the prospects." Lucius followed his gaze to the group of women and laughed out loud, giving his friend a good pat on the back.
"I assure you Severus," Lucius steered Snape out of the parlor, "We have better prospects much more suited to your particular tastes downstairs. And my dear sister in law has been simply pining after you since you left us last week."
"I had business in Ireland,"Snape drawled, "I'm sure Bella managed just fine without me." Together they descended the cold stone staircase, lit sporadically by icy blue orbs hovering in the air. Hoots of laughter drifted up the stairs, followed by a shrill scream.
"Sev!" A mass of black ringlets found themselves in Severus Snapes arms, purring contently against his chest.
"Bella, I would advise you to disentangle yourself from me before you draw attention to yourself," Snape pushed herself off of him, smirking at Lucius.
"Oh but Severus," she pouted, crossing her arms in front of her chest like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum, "We had so much fun last week."
Snape opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Lucius, "Bellatrix I believe that you were brought here to do your job."
With another pout followed by a mock solute, Bellatrix Lestrange flounced to the front of the room.
"Come my friend," Lucius smiled, showing off too many of his straight white teeth, "Come and see your prospects."
Snape followed Lucius to the front of the room where many men were whooping and cat calling. A young woman lay on the ground in agony, face covered by a curtain of coppery locks. Bellatrix lazily sent another hex in her direction to the excitement of all of the Death Eaters gathered.
Lily. Snape froze, not able to take his eyes off of the woman stripped down to her bra and knickers. Not able to take his eyes off of the sheets of shimmering red hair. Oh god. This is my fault. Avery stepped forward from the crowd and yanked the witch to her feet. Snape let out his breath when he caught a glimpse of her tear stained face, it wasn't her.
"May I start the bidding?" Avery smirked. Numbers flew through the air and in mere moments she was fitted with a collar and dragged away by Nott, eyes glazed over and shuffling her feet.
Next a slightly older witch with cropped blonde hair was shoved onto the pedestal, meeting the fury of Bellatrix's wand. The process was repeated and another witch took the pedestal. Her eyes were quickly scanning the crowd, light brown eyes filled with fear. Bella cackled and a jagged purple curse hit the witch in her breastbone. She collapsed to the ground, dirty brown curls shielding her body. That hair. That fucking hair.
It couldn't be.
It wasn't fucking possible.
Was it?
Snape took several steps forward to try to get a better look at the witch, instantly recognizing her as she lifted her chin to watch Bellatrix through glinting eyes. She was goading her, daring her to strike her again. Miss Granger. Was this another one of Potter's idiotic schemes? Have his best friend be tortured and killed just to get some information. I'm going to fucking kill him. Snape suddenly became aware of the bidding which had already started, he noticed Goyle stepping forward to claim his prize. What had he bid to own the Gryffindor Princess?
"1000 Galleons," Snape found himself stepping forward, trying his best not to look at the quivering body of Miss Granger. A shudder of surprise ran through her body at the sum, but she did not look like she recognized him behind his mask.
"You can't be serious," Goyle turned a shade of plum underneath his mask, "She's mine."
"I believe, Goyle," Snape allowed himself a calculated smile, "That I outbid you."
Miss Granger lifted her head, trying desperately to appraise him. Did she recognize him? Would it be better if she didn't? A gold band appeared around her neck, seamless and gleaming in the pale dungeon light. Two marks ruined its perfect surface, SS. In that moment, he claimed her as his. What the hell have I done?
"Severus?" Lucius appeared by his side as he dropped a sack of gold to the ground. 1000 Galleons, almost his entire salary, "What have you done?"
"It appears Lucius, that I have found my prospect." Did Lucius recognize what he had found, the insolent, know-it-all, bushy-haired, brilliant best friend of the Harry Potter? Surely not, or he would have offered her to the Dark Lord.
"Are you leaving so soon, my friend," Lucius had dropped his casual smile and was glaring at Snape with silver daggers, "Surely you would like to share your prize?"
"You should know by now that I have not nor will I ever be one to share which is rightfully mine," Snape looked down at the witch, his witch, who had curled herself into a ball on the ground.
"Come girl," Snape pulled her to his side, murmuring softly in her ear, "Let's go."
Louder this time, so everyone in the room would hear, "I am not to be disturbed this weekend. I need time to situate my new pet." Clutching her tightly against him, Severus Snape apparated from the Malfoy Manor.
Snape had scarcely been able to drag Miss Granger into the door of Spinner's End before she had vomited all over his mother's Persian carpet. Had the late Mrs. Snape been alive to witness it, she would have been mortified. Snape simply ignored it and with a quick, "Scourgify!", he was able to restore it. He disdainfully hated the carpet anyway.
Considering that Miss Granger was in no place to walk, he scooped her into his arms and carried her up three flights of stairs. A part of him wanted to chuck her out of the closest window and forget all about the night's events but an equally large part of him wanted to tuck her into his bed and never let her leave. Ignoring both urges, he took her into the guest bedroom and swathed her starved body in his mother's favorite lavender sheets.
Snape retreated into his private quarters in the search of some potions: Healing Salve, Calming Drought, and Dreamless Sleep. He returned, striding briskly through the halls. What to do… what to do? Snape set the potions down on the cherry wood desk. He heard it then, a soft tremble of breath and turned around to the wide eyed look of Hermione Granger, clutching the sheets to her nearly nude body.
For a moment it looked as if she was going to say something, before collapsing back into her pillows. He would have to work quickly. The Calming Drought came first, followed by Dreamless Sleep. Once he was certain that the witch wouldn't awaken, he stripped her out of her dirty bra and knickers, a pair which had once been white but was stained with dirt and what smelled like dried blood.
What had those fucking brutes done to her? How in the hell had she ended up in Malfoy Manor?
A lesser man would have taken advantage of Miss Granger in her unconscious state, but there was nothing sexual about her thin broken form, nothing attractive of the dark bruises ruptured under her skin. Dipping long fingers into the salve, Snape stared at her ankles where tell-tale marks revealed the presence of where chains had once held her. He continued up her calves, massaging the salve into her skin. Her thighs came next, then the fragile line of her pelvis. What had they done to her? A deep jagged cut sliced through her stomach, and a bit of wand work was required to seal it with as little scarring as possible. Her breasts were covered with finger prints and Snape forced himself to clear his mind before he administered the medication with a gentle touch. He rubbed her biceps down to her delicate wrists. She would live, he was sure of it. Not bothering to return her soiled underwear, Snape pulled the sheets up to her chin and fled the guest bedroom.
He needed somewhere to think. He needed some firewhiskey.
Ahhhhh! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to let me know!