A/N Disclaimers never get old, do they? *sigh* Plot bunnies are mine, Harry Potter characters are not...

This story is turning out 1k+ words each chapter, so I'm trying to keep up the "good" work. =]

Apologies for taking so long. RL is kicking my ass. My boss is a jerk and my car committed suicide. -_-

Anyways, without further ado, here is chapter 4

/end A/N

Chapter 4 Wait your turn!

By the time Draco had settled Hermione onto his couch, she was out cold. Harpy disapparated in with a resounding crack and two very disgruntled people.

"Draco!" Snape snapped, jerking out of the elf's grasp. "You do not send a bloody house elf to-" his tirade cut off as he saw Hermione breathing shallowly, bruises purpling on her cheek and arms. "What the hell did you do to her?!" He shoved Draco away and started running diagnostics on her. "I know you are not stupid enough to still think that harming Mugglebormns is a great pasttime. What happened?!"

"I didn't do anything! She summoned me with her Patronus to meet her at the Front Hall. I had no idea that this was what she had been up to. If I had, do you think I would have let her out and about on her own?! Uncle, she is family to me! I can't hurt her. It goes against everything I stand for." He muttered darkly under his breath for a moment. "There was a reason I had Harpy grab Poppy too!"

At that point, Poppy snapped out of her shock at the state that Hermione was in and began running the same diagnostics that Snape had just run on her. "Severus, we need-"

"I know what we need. I can read the signs just as well as you can," Snape snapped as he stood up in a whirl of robes and stepped into the floo. "Headmaster's Quarters," he barked, disappearing in a flash of green flames.

Draco knelt back at Hermione's side. "How is she Poppy? I didn't want the other professors worried, but I'm kind of freaking out myself." He held Hermione's hand lightly, almost as if he was afraid the slightest touch could injure her farther. "Her Patronus barely had a corporeal form Poppy. She must have been magically and mentally exhausted... Who could have grabbed her out from under our noses in the castle?"

Poppy looked up sharply at that. "What do you mean she was snatched out of the castle? No one can get in here during Summer Holidays unless they work here or are invited!"

"That's exactly the problem Poppy. No one has invited anyone outside of Hogwarts. The only people that should be here at this very moment are permanent staff! How do we figure out who did this? I can't just go around accusing everyone who works here of attacking her. How do we figure out who did it?"

Snape returned in a flash of green flames and lacking his customary robes. "We should get started on healing her first before we assume that it was one of our own that held her against her will." At that, he started transfusing strengthening potions directly into her stomach as Poppy started working on the surface wounds on her arms and legs. When Poppy cast the next diagnostic and saw that she still had wounds on her back, she carefully rolled her over using magic.

"I trust you boys aren't going to try anything funny while I check on the wounds on her back?"

At the men's agreement that they would let her do her job with no interference, she removed Hermione's blouse with magic. The sight that greeted the witch and two wizards present nearly had the three in shock.

"Uncle-" Draco gasped and hesitantly reached out to Hermione. "Who would scar up my girl like this?"

Across her back were multiple scarred over words. Some old enough that the scarring had faded to white, some so fresh that they almost looked like they would bleed at the slightest provocation. As they watched, a new word sliced itself over an unmarred section of skin. "'Traitor'?" Draco read as it cleaved its way across her back. "Does Potter know about this?"

Hermione groaned and shifted, attempting to get her hands under her chest to push herself up. She blinked a few times before focusing on her audience. "Draco? Headmaster?" She looked at the third in their party and inhaled sharply. "Poppy? What is going on here?" She pushed herself up and gasped as she felt the blood from the new wounds drip down her back. "Nevermind, I think I know." She snapped her wrist out and her wand flew into it. "Get OUT!" Poppy jolted back as if she had been slapped. Snape just sat back and cocked an eyebrow at her. Draco was in too much of a daze at seeing the word appear on her back to notice she had actually ordered them all out.

Then Draco scowled.

"First of all, Granger, you are in my rooms, not yours. So, no, I won't be getting out. Second, you were the one that called to me with your Patronus for help. Third, when the HELL were you going to tell me you had been cursed?! Do you know who did it? Or when it may have been cast?" Draco crossed his arms and his face fell. "Hermione, I thought you trusted me."

Snape leaned forward and grabbed Hermione by the chin and forced her to look at him. "If you do not tell us what you know, Iwill use whatever means necessary to find out. Do the other two in the Golden Trio know about your affliction or not?" His eyes shaped over to Draco. "Wait your turn! I know you want to question her as well."

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut tight, but a few tears slipped out. "Just leave me alone, please." Her voice came out barely a whisper, filled with desperation. "I can't tell you. It will only make if worse."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "We will find out one way or another. Do not test my patience, Miss Granger. You will not like my methods of getting information. "

At that, Snape released her chin and backed up letting Draco move in.

"Hermione, who the fuck did this to you? " Draco reached out to her, causing her to flinch back. "Please, " his voice was full of anguish, "let me help you, love. "

Hermione wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the others. "I can't tell you." She turned away from the three concerned faces watching her. "Just leave me alone. I've survived this long. Who's to say I won't survive another 6 years with no other effects?"