The next morning.
"No! I won't!," Hermione cried furiously.
Waking herself up as she suddenly bolted upright in bed with a loud gasp that woke Severus from his peaceful sleep. He quickly turned over to face her to see she was panting almost breathlessly. Her eyes filled with fear, anger, and disbelief.
"Hermione? what's wrong?," Severus asked apprehensively in concern.
"Go away," She muttered bitterly as she glared at something standing in the far left corner of his room.
"Hermione?," He asked cautiously as he gently grasped her shoulders from behind to try and examine her face.
All of a sudden Hermione yelped in pain as she cluthed her stomach.
"Hermione!," Severus exclaimed urgently in shock as he threw the covers back to sit in front of her.
Hermione continued to hold onto her abdomen as she hissed in pain.
"Hermione, what's going on?," Severus demanded before she gazed up at him with wide eyes.
"My stomach, it's burning," Hermione whimpered as she winced.
Severus quickly unbuttoned the bottom half of her shirt, and pulled it apart to reveal three long deep scratches across her stomach.
"What the fuck?," Severus exclaimed again. Scowling furiously before Hermione yelped again as her back stiffened.
Severus immdieately jumped off the bed and lifted up his white shirt that she was wearing, and watched in horror as three more deep scratches started to appear on the right side of her upper back. They looked like claw marks from a wild animal.
"Ow! ow!, stop it!, leave me alone!," Hermione cried in pain, and anger before Severus gently picked her up. Cradling her to his chest as he strode swiftly out of the room and set her down onto his couch.
"Where did it go!?," Hermione cried. Hissing in pain as her back touched the back of the sofa.
Then she glanced down at her stomach and grimaced. Her blood was starting to seep through her shirt now as she quickly tried to cover herself.
"I can't believe it followed us," Hermione remarked incredulously. Shaking her head in dismay.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, I did not know it could follow through the floo. I thought the rumbling was a sign of our evacuation, and it's hold on you," Severus declared apologetically with guilt.
"So it's not my house, it's me," Hermione whispered in realization as she put her head into her hands and started to cry.
Severus sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms again.
"I am so sorry for bringing it into your house," Hermione whimpered as she layed a soft kiss on his bare chest.
Severus gazed down at her in surprise.
"I should go," Hermione stated as she quickly stood up.
"Absolutely not, don't be absurd," Severus retorted as he to stood up as Hermione turned around to face him.
"Are you fucking kidding me?," Hermione exclaimed in disbelief.
Severus frowned.
"You cannot let your feelings for me block your better judgment. I am not safe to be around," Hermione asserted stubbornly as Severus shook his head.
"I am not, gonna let you go back there alone again," Severus stated earnestly as he grasped both her hands, and gently pulled her closer.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she bowed her head, and hid behind her mass of curls.
"Is there something else bothering you?," Severus asked softly as Hermione only sniffled.
"Did you have another night terror? is that what happened this morning? was it another witch hunt?," Severus asked quietly with a trepidatious expression as Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. Causing more tears to fall.
"No," Hermione whimpered as she shook her head before inhaling a sharp breath.
"I saw it," She added shakily as she exhaled. "Right before we left, it was watching us," Hermione whispered. Glancing up at Severus as he frowned.
Hermione opened her mouth, and closed it again in hesitation as he waited for her to continue.
"This dream felt more real then the first one," Hermione murmured in perturbation. Sighing as she reluctantly continued.
"One second you were sleeping next to me, and then the next it kept showing me different images of you being attacked," She cried as Severus looked taken aback.
"And it was me," She choked out on one of her sobs. "It kept telling me to do it," Hermione breathed as she looked up at him.
"It wants me to kill you," She declared gravely as her voice shook.
Severus's eyes widened slightly in shock, but he stood his ground.
"But I will not!," Hermione exclaimed. "I love you and that is why I can't stay here!," She blurted out helplessly.
Only when Severus raised his eyebrows in surprise did she realize what she had just said.
"You love me?," Severus asked softly.
Hermione's cheeks flushed pink before she smiled sheepishly up at him.
Severus smirked at her with admiration in his dark eyes as he slowly took a few steps back, and gently pulled her down onto his lap.
"I love you too, which is why I cannot let you go through this alone," Severus whispered lovingly as he tucked some of her hair beind her ear.
We'll leave, we can go and stay at the manor," Severus suggested hopefully as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Hermione smiled sadly at him.
"You have no idea how much I'd love that, Severus, but I can't," Hermione murmured sadly in regret as she caressed the side of his face.
"It's attached itself to me, Severus, and wherever I go it will follow," She added helplessly in dismal as she slowly slid off his lap, and tangled her fingers in her hair.
Then we stay here, and figure out a way to defeat it," Severus remarked resolutely as he leaned forward and interlocked his hands together.
Hermione sighed.
"You do not understand, Severus," She replied as she turned around to face him with sad eyes.
"What don't I understand?," Severus asked in confusion as he knitted his eyebrows together.
"I have to leave, I have to get it away from you before it makes me do something I don't want to do," Hermione declared in fear as Severus stood up and pulled her into his arms.
"I swore to myself that I wouldn't let you go back there," Severus whispered sadly into her ear before she rested her head against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry," Hermione mumured solemnly as she slowly pulled away to look up at him.
"I meant what I said last night, I will never stop fighting for you," Severus stated sincerely as he softly cupped both sides of her face.
At that, Hermione swiftly stood up on her bare toes and pressed a tender kiss to his lips as she tangled her fingers in his hair.
"At least let me help you?," Severus asked kindly as he motioned to her open wounds.
Hermione kissed him one more time. Then she nodded her head at him with a warm smile before he walked off, and returned moments later with his wand, the healing salve, and bandages. He set them on the couch as he sat down and he held his hand out to her. Hermione accepted his hand as she walked closer and stopped in front of him.
Severus eyed her face for approval as he motioned towards the buttons on her shirt. Hermione blushed, but nodded her head as he carefully undid the last few bottom buttons again. Revealing her white laced underwear. He hadn't noticed before because her attack at hand was far more important.
Hermione blushed again when Severus gazed up at her with a wondrous look in his eyes.
Then with his wand in hand, Severus softly began muttering his own healing spell.
"Vulnera Sanentur Vulnera Sanentur Vulnera sanentur Vulnera Sanentur," He chanted like a hum.
Hermione watched him lovingly as he lightly trailed the tip of his wand along her skin, and the wounds slowly started to close into small little slits.
After that he gently dabbed the healing salve onto her newly closed wounds. Then he carefully pressed four butterfly bandages onto each one. Making sure they were secure before Hermione turned around with her back to him and undid the last remaining top buttons. Then she nervously moved her hair to the side, and pulled her shirt down off her shoulders to reveal the open wounds on her upper back.
She let her shirt hang down by her waist as Severus once again began to recite the spell over again.
"Vulnera Sanentur Vulnera Sanentur Vulnera Sanentur Vulnera Sanentur," He murmured as he trailed his wand along her right shoulder blade.
They to closed, leaving only three four inch long slits across her back. Then once again, he gently dabbed the healing salve onto her back before putting four medium sized butterfly bandages on all three cuts, and securing them.
When he was done, he trailed his fingers down her back as Hermione closed her eyes at his touch, but he stopped when he reached the shirt, and slowly pulled it back up over her shoulders as he stood up.
He rested his hands on her shoulders as he bent his head down and pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck. Hermione sighed in content. Then she buttoned up the shirt again before turning to face him with a blush.
"I should go change," Hermione remarked sheepishly.
Severus smiled down at her.
"Keep it, it looks better on you," He smirked playfully before waving his wand again. Removing any trace of her blood from it. Making it as good as new.
Hermione beamed at him as she bit on her bottom lip."Thank you," She murmured sweetly as she reached up to brush a strand of his hair out of his face.
They stared at each other with an eager longingness for a moment before she walked around him and made her way towards his room.
Severus turned his head to watch her go. Eyeing her tanned legs up and down as she walked away.
"Quit staring at my arse!," She called knowingly over her shoulder in amusement.
Severus chuckled as he smirked to himself.
Hermione returned five minutes later with his shirt wrapped around her arm. She stopped in front of him as he stood up from the couch, and she smiled awkwardly at him.
"Well, I should go," Hermione spoke in a sad voice.
"You don't have to go yet, do you?," Severus asked hopefully.
"We could go back to the bookstore? maybe get some lunch afterwards?," Severus added suggestively as Hermione chewed on her lip in thought.
"It sounds lovely, Severus, but I need to get it back home as soon as possible, and away from you," Hermione replied regrettably.
"There isn't any way that I can convince you to stay?,"Severus asked with a discouraged expression on his face.
Hermione sadly shook her head.
"You do realize how much danger you could be putting yourself in by going back there, alone," Severus remarked seriously in concern.
Hermione sighed as she closed her eyes, and bowed her head before gazing sadly up at him.
"Severus," Hermione started. "I am absolutely terrified of going back there on my own, but I'm even more scared of what it'll do if I stay," She continued softly in sincerity as she gently grasped his hands.
"It's my turn to protect you," Hermione declared solemnly with pleading eyes and a warm smile.
Severus smirked at her before leaning down to kiss her. Then she swiftly wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.
"Once I leave, it will try anything to stop me, Severus, it will try to take control again, you must get those books, and find out everything you can," Hermione whispered urgently into his ear so only he would hear. Then she slowly pulled away from him.
"And please, Severus, from the moment I leave this room you must not believe a single word that I say," Hermione warned.
"I will be completely helpess, but believe me now when I say this," Hermione added hopelessly with a pause as she grasped his hand.
"I love you," She declared earnestly as Severus mentally sighed in relief.
"I love you too," He said solemnly as he hugged her one more time.
"I promise, I will come for you. I will end this," Severus stated sincerely. Flashing her a reassuring look as he cupped her face once more.
Hermione nodded as she rested her hands on top of his. Then she turned and reached inside his jar of floo powder, and pulled some out in her fist before turning to see it standing a few feet behind Severus.
She quickly tossed the powder into the fire and called out her destination as it zoom past Severus, and he shifted at the sudden gust of wind as she squeezed her eyes shut as it lunged into the fire with her, and they disappeared into the green flames.
They were gone.
Severus scowled at the fireplace before he quickly stalked out of the room to get dressed before marching out the front door. Striding down the sidewalk as he made his way to the bookshop.
As soon as he entered the shop he marched right to the row of books where he first saw Hermione again about a month ago.
Once he found the book, he started examining the rows and rows of books looking for a dictionary on latin speach. He looked and looked for it with no luck, and just when he was about to leave, he finally found it. He purchased both books, then swiftly exited the store. He rushed home. Wanting to get ahead start.
Meanwhile...
When Hermione had got home, she immediately heard something hit her ceiling. She quickly looked up as she started to hear loud banging as if something was crawling around on her ceiling above her. But nothing was there.
Then it sounded like it had started to run up and down the walls on either side of her.
"Stop it!,' Hermione exclaimed furiously.
"What do you want from me!?," She cried helplessly with tearful eyes just before it hit the ceiling again and she looked up once more and saw it staring down at her with its teeth bared.
She gasped. Completely paralyzed in terror as it glared down at her with its beastly cat like yellow eyes.
"You, belong to me, you, are mine," It spoke evilly in a deep guttural voice.
"No," Hermione breathed shakily. Crying silently. Unable to move.
It smiled wickedly at her before it lunged at her, and she finally screamed.
When Hermione slowly opened her eyes some time later, she had no knowledge of how long she was passed out. She was laying on her back on her living room floor.
She eventually sat up and realized how dark the room was getting. Then She stood to look out the window and watched as the last bit of the sun went down behind the neighboring houses.
Her eyes watered as she frowned.
It had taken a whole day from her.
She turned back around to examine the room. Which still had books, and glass everywhere from the "earthquake".
She started to clean her books off the floor when she spotted one of her wizarding photos laying face down on the rug. She bent down to pick it up and stared into all the faces of her friends. All the survivors of the the war. Then she noticed that Severus's face had been scratched out as if somene had punched the glass.
Her lips quivered to hold in her sobs as she lightly touched his smashed picture with her index finger and middle finger.
Then She pulled her wand out of her pocket and cleaned the room spotless with a swift wave of her wand before making her way towards her kitchen to make herself some tea. She found it always soothed her when she was upset.
She set her cup down onto the table as she sat down with the photograph still in her hand. She sipped her tea while staring down at the picture in front of her as she lightly touched his face again.
Oh how she missed him, but she felt extremely guilty for involving Him into this. Because now he has become its new target. Now being around him could be putting him at risk, or worse.
She was terrified. She did not want hurt him. Yes, they have only been together for a short time, but she loved him.
She had never expected to fall in love. Let alone with Severus Snape. If someone told her a year ago that she would be romantically involved with her former potions professor she would've brushed them off immediately. Although she had respected him, and admired him, she wasn't in love with him. To her it was only a crush. One she would never had acted upon for fear of his rejection.
Little did she know, Severus had been pinning for her the entire time, but He did not dare to confront it because other then his feelings of infatuation being against school rules, and not to mention ministry law, he to had the same fear.
This entity had brought them together, and now it might tear them apart.
Hermione felt utterly hopeless as she sat there sipping the last of her tea as more tears welled up in her eyes before sliding down her cheeks and falling lightly onto the picture on the table.
Not feeling hungry at all, Hermione stood up from the table and left the room. Taking the picture with her as she walked back into her living room and picked Severus's shirt off the floor before heading up the stairs to her bedroom.
When Hermione entered her room she slipped off her shoes as she began to undress. She tensed at the sudden uneasiness in the room as she slid Severus's shirt over her shoulders before buttoning it up, then crawling into bed.
She set the photograph onto her nightstand beside her. Then she picked up a book she'd been reading and started to read. Reading always comforted her.
She layed there for about twenty minutes trying to ignore the engery that filled the room, but she couldn't ignore the feeling of being watched as she turned the pages in her book.
Then all of a sudden she started to feel this tingling sensation on her leg, and when she started to feel a slight pressure run up her leg she quickly threw back her blankets to see two indents as if someone was pressing two fingers into her skin.
Hermione eyes widened in horror as she watched the indents slowly run up the length of her leg. She gasped. Gaping in shock as it moved higher and higher up her leg til she could feel it underneath her shirt, traveling up her stomach.
Once again she tried to scream but no sound came out. She sat there completely paralyzed in fear as it continued to run up the length of her body. She couldn't even cry out when she felt it grope one of her breasts.
She hissed when it suddenly tightened its hold on her breast, and she squeezed her eyes shut as tears trickled down her face.
"STOP IT!," Hermione finally cried as it suddenly quit, and she jumped out of bed to run out of the room but she was violently shoved back when she past the threshold.
When she looked up she saw it rush at her and within five seconds it had grabbed her by her throat, and it lifted her up into the air before throwing her across the room, and into the top of her wardrobe. She then fell to the floor with a loud thud and it was gone.
Hermione yelped in pain, and she started to sob when she realized that she couldn't get up. It hurt too much to move. So she layed there for a while before slowly crawling over to her bed and pulling herself up onto it while she hissed in pain.
Her back hurt like hell and she felt like she would never be able to go to sleep. Time seemed to pass by painfully slow and it felt like forever before she finally drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning...
Severus was pacing around his sitting room in frustration. He had spent all day and all night reading through those books, and more to find a translation, but he found nothing. He was beginning to get angry. He could not stand Hermione being there all alone. Completely at its mercy.
"ALL OF THESE BOOKS ARE SO FUCKING USLESS!." Severus exclaimed furiously as he kicked over one of the small piles of books on his floor, and they went flying across the room.
Then Severus turned and scowled into the fire. Deep in thought. He did not understand why defeating a muggle demon was so hard. Defeating Voldomort was easier then this. But he refused to give up. He could not let the woman he loved suffer anymore than she already had.
Than he suddenly had an idea. He swiftly turned on his heal, and raced into his lab. If he could not find a way to transolate languages, he would create a way. After all, he has done it before. Why couldn't he do it again?
He would create a translation spell. One that will translate any language imaginable. He would create it to take any form of speech and magically translate it to appear in words in front of him. Unseen by anyone but the casters eyes. So after he figures out what it wants, he can figure out how to banish it, and Hermione can finally be free. The thought thrilled him, and he got right to work.
Hours later...
When Hermione woke up her back ached horribly, and she gasped as she felt a sharp twinge in her back when she sat up to get out of bed.
She carefully got out of bed and made her way into her bathroom where she looked into the mirror and saw the large purple hand print it left on her neck. She reached up to touch it, and grimaced in disgust. Than she turned and pulled up her shirt to examine her back and her jaw dropped in shock.
Her whole back was purple, and blue, and all she could see were the bandages that Severus had put on her back the day before.
Her eyes watered. Blocking her vision as she stared at her back.
"Why me?," She whimpered mentally as she dropped to the floor with a hiss, and cried into her hands.
(A/N Well that's a little alarming, but here it is! chapter seven is finally done! Had a little bit of writers block but it's finally done. I hope you all like this chapter! I know it'd be easier for Severus to use a computer, but unfortunately wizards aren't familiar with all things muggle, and it'd take away all the fun lol.
Pretty sure it's not hard to figure out what it wants now. Poor Hermione:(
Things are getting a little more serious for Severus and Hermione now. Stay tuned, and dont be afraid to review if you LIKED it. I'll have chapter eight updated as soon as I can. Thank you for reading! Till next time! Byeee!)
(To be continued...)