Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all
Hermione held on to Harry's arm as they slowly made their way through the darkness of an abandoned warehouse. It was clever, really, hiding them in a muggle place. Hermione winced as broken glass crunched under her shoe, but she was afraid to look down. Harry stopped suddenly, peering around another corner. Both pairs of eyes had adjusted to the slight darkness now, and their throats no longer gagged at the thick dust that hung in the air. Hermione felt him tense under her hand, and became suddenly tense herself. She watched as Harry slowly drew his wand out, knuckles already white on the handle. She followed suit, attempting to prepare herself for what she would see when they turned the corner.
No amount of preparation could have prepared Hermione for the body of her former professor, mangled and bloody. She had never liked Lockhart's nonexistent style of teaching, but no one should have to go like this. Anger flared in her eyes as she watched Malfoy Sr. standing not far from them. He was completely relaxed, and didn't even turn to face them when he spoke.
"I was wondering when you two would show up. Always the heroes, aren't we." He turned to face them, adding a few disciplinary clucks of his tongue to his over-confident tone. "But sadly, the heroes don't always win." Harry's wand was suddenly pointed straight at Lucius' face, although his hand shook slightly with rage.
"You're a monster!" Harry roared, his rage at its finest.
Hermione took in the blood pooled around Lockhart's slashed throat. The edges of the puddle were beginning to dry, and his throat had barely stopped bleeding yet. "Harry...I don't think he did this."
Lucius regarded them with nothing but a purely Slytherin smile as Fenrir Greyback crept up behind them, drooling and covered in blood.
You're sick of feeling numb
You're not the only one
I'll take you by the hand
And I'll show you a world that you can understand
This life is filled with hurt
When happiness doesn't work
Trust me and take my hand
When the lights go out, you'll understand
Neither Snape or Lupin stopped to survey their surroundings as they rushed through the warehouse. Snape remembered this place well; it had been a favorite of Voldemort's, allowing him to torture and kill both muggles and magical persons right under the ministry's nose. Returning to it almost made Snape sick. He managed to return to their current endeavor as he rounded the corner, Lupin matching him step for step. They had drawn their wands at the door, and numerous spells flew through Snape's head as he took in the scene before him.
Lockhart's body lay tossed on the floor, bloody and broken. Snape winced, turning his eyes to Lucius and...Harry Potter. How had he gotten here? Seeing Miss Granger straining in the corner, he realized she was being held by Fenrir Greyback and felt his stomach flip as he made connections to the body on the floor. Potter always managed to drag his friends into trouble right with him. Snape jumped back as Lupin flew passed him, lunging for Greyback's throat. His wand was forgotten-this was pure wolf on wolf blood lust. Miss Granger was freed from her captor as Lupin crashed into Fenrir in a full body tackle, and she ran into the corner crying and shouting. Snape turned his black eyes back to the other battle.
Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all (X 2)
As far as he could see, Lucius was repelling all of Harry's attacks. The different colored lights flew back and forth for suspended minutes, neither touching or getting close to touching. Harry seemed to be getting weakened by anger and frustration, and Lucius was smiling. A smile Snape was all too familiar with; one he had seen on occasions he dreaded remembering. The man was truly evil, and there was no doubt left in anyone's mind about it. Snape realized the death eater's intentions far too late; by the time he raised his wand to cast a 'protego' at the boy, it had already occurred. The fatal shout and the blinding green light stopped all motion in the room, and all eyes turned to Harry. For a moment nothing happened, but it soon became clear that 'The Boy Who Lived' wasn't invincible. Harry fell to the ground, his face forever frozen in a mask of anger and grief.
Motion came back as Fenrir took advantage of Lupin's distraught distraction and lunged for his neck. Hermione crumpled to the ground, hit by nothing but her own emotions. Her eyes were locked on Harry's body, and her mouth was formed in a silent scream. Snape knew from experience that the images before her would forever be in her mind. Lucius ran, laughing at his victory. With a sudden start, Snape followed. He heard the snarling behind him, and Hermione's screams were no longer silent.
Anger and agony
Are better than misery
Trust me, I've got a plan
When the lights go up you'll understand
The beautiful light of the full moon made an odd counterpoint to the bloody battle that raged inside the building. Snape flung curse after curse at the retreating back of his old friend, but missed every time. If the man wasn't such a bloody coward, maybe he wouldn't weave around so much. He suddenly stopped with a strangled yell as he noticed Elle cowering in the corner of this new room they had reached. Lucius wasted no time in grabbing her hair and yanking her to her feet. Bound and gagged, her cry of pain was muffled. Malfoy held his wand to her throat, watching Snape with evil eyes and enjoying the woman's squirming.
"How much do you love your wife, Severus?"
Never before had Snape seen Lucius this way, and he had believed he had seen him at his worst. In the days they had been banded together by the summoning dark mark, he had seen both brutal murders and sick tortures. He had seen rapes and beatings; and he recalled how their faces would light up when they knew their target had reached it's breaking point, finally begging for death. But nothing like this...never like this. The rage inside of him welled up as he watched both of their faces, the attacker and the attacked, and he knew if he didn't end it now it would never end. Snape ignored the question purposefully. If he answered yes, Lucius would kill her to torment him. If he said no, then Lucius would kill her because of the lack of love. He simply turned his face into one of defeat, slowly lowering his wand. Lucius made the mistake Snape had been hoping for, and did the same. His black eyes locked with Elle's green for a split second; just enough time to communicate his intentions, and hope she understood.
"Avada kedarva!" Elle pushed herself away just before the green light flew past her, and it barely missed her head. It did, though, hit Lucius square in the chest. Anyone could tell he hadn't been suspecting an unforgivable from his former friend who he had believed weak. His face was disbelief as he fell, never to rise again. With his death Elle's bonds were broken and she ran to Snape's side, throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his shoulder. He slowly wrapped his arm around her, his eyes trained on the dead body of his old friend and his feet glued to the floor. After a short time, he realized she wouldn't want to remain here a moment longer and began to walk her out in the direction he had come.
Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all (X 2)
It was immediately clear who the victor in this other battle had been. Snape and Elle arrived just in time to see Lupin transform back into himself, the ugly werewolf features regressing into his normal ones. Hermione sobbed freely, and Snape wondered if she had stopped since she had first been grabbed. His arm around his wife tightened as he stepped around Greyback's mangled body, escorting Elle over to her brother. Hermione ran forward, throwing herself at Lupin and sobbing into his shoulder, much as Elle had done only a few minutes earlier. Lupin did not hesitate in holding her back though, his eyes now glued to Harry's body on the floor. Everyone turned as one to stare, and Elle gasped as she began to cry silently. Both girls wept, and Snape was not entirely sure that Lupin remained dry-eyed as he reached out a hand to touch the boy. Snape grabbed it, shaking his head. His meaning was clear, and Lupin locked eyes with him for a moment before he stood again. They were walking out when Miss Granger began to scream, pulling free of her husband's embrace and making frantic hand motions.
"We can't just leave him here! They'll get him! They'll get him..." Her last remark trailed off as Lupin once again held her, steering her toward the rest of the group as they headed for the entrance.
"We will return to get him, Hermione. No one can hurt him anymore."
Snape was now sure that Lupin was crying, and was surprised to find that he was as well. He turned his face away, but Elle only held him tighter without a word as they reached the entrance. The darkness was giving way to dawn, and the couples disapperated with their loves ones in their arms.
I know I know I know I know-
I know that you're wounded
You know you know you know you know-
That I'm here to save you
You know you know you know you know-
I'm always here for you
I know I know I know I know-
That you'll thank me later
Pain, without love
Pain, can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough