Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make money from it.

"Who did you murder?"

Severus shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."

"We must not keep secrets from each other."

Severus took a weary deep breath. "We have a problem. Do come in headmaster."

He stepped aside as Dumbledore entered his chamber. The headmaster eyed the bundle on the couch suspiciously. "And this is the body?"

Severus sneered and pulled the blanket from the couch, revealing a sleeping Hermione.

Dumbledore looked at him startled. "It doesn't look good to have young girls hidden in your private chambers, Severus!"

"I found her in a ditch in the forbidden forest, almost frozen solid and almost dead after having tried to commit suicide. I suppose that's what you succumb to after the dark lord wants to use you as his pawn." Severus replied, bitterly.

Dumbledore sighed. "Oh yes? To get at Harry, I presume. How could this happen? How could they get to her?"

"They can break anyone they want. What in Merlin's name do we do?"

"She can't find out about your involvement with them."

Severus sighed and gave him a knowing look. Dumbledore's face dropped. "Oh no…"

"She spotted me the other night when they captured her. I didn't know they had brought her there. So far she's refusing to obey them," Severus explained.

"Then her life is in danger."

"It's in danger anyway! No matter what she agrees to or doesn't agree to, they wont leave her to live happily ever after, if at all. She came to me this morning for help, but…there's nothing I can do. If I show an ounce of treachery…"

"You'll be killed yourself. That can't happen. The past twenty-odd years depend on it. You must do what you can to protect the boy…and I mean anything! If the dark lord asks you to murder Hermione yourself, then you will most likely have to do it."

Severus looked up at him, stunned and horrified. He then grabbed Dumbledore's arm and led him to the other side of the room. "Not so loud! She's been distressed enough for this evening. I've only just calmed her down. If she thinks I'm going to murder her… let's just take things as they come."

"Would you do it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, with his eyes studying him closely.

Severus looked up at the ceiling, as if looking towards Lily's spirit. "What choice would I have?"

"Good man. But like you said - let's hope it never comes to that."

Severus nodded, stricken with fear.

"Perhaps we could help her get away. Put her in hiding. It could work…" Dumbledore contemplated. "But first we have to convince her to stay quiet. If she only knows you are a death-eater, it should stay that way. She can find out nothing else. You are giving her special treatment and helping her…as a friend."

Severus scoffed. "Never in the past five years have we ever seen each other as friends."

"As her professor then. She'll understand your wanting to help her. It's what she asked you for this morning."

Severus sighed. "I don't think she'll stay quiet. She's a righteous Gryffindor! A courageous girl and I'm sure she'll eventually want to put right what has been done to her. When the time comes…she wont let this go."

Albus shrugged. "Surely you don't know her that well. She's scared enough, I would have thought."

The conversation was interrupted by Hermione, who started to cough violently. The two men spun around, alerted by the sudden sound. They continued to watch her until the coughing ceased.

"For all we know, she could have pneumonia. I wish I could just take her to Poppy," Severus said, feeling weary for the responsibility.

"Don't do it, Severus!"

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I'm no nurse maid, headmaster! I'm not saying I will. I'm just tired of this, is all."

"Just take her to your bed and sleep on the couch yourself," Dumbledore said.

Severus looked at him bewildered. "I can't put her in my bed, it's…inappropriate."

"You have a very sick girl on your hands. You need to make her as comfortable as possible. I don't see what is inappropriate about putting her there. Has your bed seen much activity lately?"

Severus looked at him coldly.

Dumbledore smirked. "I didn't think so."

"Did I hear you correctly?" Severus said, slowly.

Dumbledore turned and started to leave. "Put her to bed, Severus. Get her out of that bloody dress as well. We shall continue this conversation in the morning. I need my beauty sleep."

Severus looked at Hermione with exhausted eyes.

O

Hermione awoke late that morning. She noticed she was wrapped up in black quilts on a large bed. She pulled away the covers and saw she was in a warm, navy blue dress. She looked around the room, feeling confused as to where she was.

With much effort, she dragged herself out of bed. Her body still felt very weak and her stomach was sore. She made her way across the room, taking hold of various bits of furniture to help her along.

She opened the door and saw a burning fire near to a couch. She made her way over to it and sat down.

It was not long before a dark figure came bursting into the room. Hermione should have been afraid, but she was not. She did not even look up.

She heard the person come towards her before crouching down in front of her. She was then face to face with Severus Snape, yet her eyes seem to look straight through him.

Hermione's seemingly catatonic state worried Severus slightly. He suddenly became conscious of his protectiveness of her, which was an emotion that he would not have volunteered.

"Hermione?"

She continued to stare. He stroked a figure across the left side of her face, gently trying to coax her to respond to him.

"There's no need to be afraid now. Talk to me." Severus said.

When he again got no response, he decided to keep talking. "I know you wanted me to help you and I sense you felt betrayed by me. I get scared as well. I didn't know what to do. Of course you've been violated and I do care about what you want. I just don't know how…"

Hermione's sharp intake of breath stopped him. He leant forward towards her and said, "you're trying to speak? What is it?"

"You care about…what I want?" Hermione asked, weakly.

Severus thought for a while and nodded. "I do, but…"

Hermione's voice rose in desperation. "Then why bring me back here? Why didn't you just let me die in the forest?"

"Surely you don't want to die!"

Hermione took a deep breath. She had a sorrowful look on her face. "I don't feel like my body is mine anymore. My mind couldn't take the abuse, so I thought that if I killed my mind, only my body would be left. Then they could do what they wanted."

Severus buried his head in his hands and said something that he never had in years. "I'm sorry."

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