Chapter 7
Snape heard the young woman cry out as he spun around, her arms out stretched to him. It had been mere instinct to reach out and catch her as she collapsed in his arms. She was limp, her head tilted backward, he held her up with one hand under each of her arms. He lifted her closer to him, the hood of her robe slipped back, as her head rolled to the side.
He peered down at her, he immediately notice her swollen lip. That face! Snape almost lost his grip on her as he realized who he held in his arms. "Miss Granger!". At the sound of her name Hermione's eyes fluttered. He slowly lowed them both to the ground, propping her up on his knee, she moaned as her head fell against his chest.
He grasped her chin, "Miss Granger", he said urgently, shaking her head a bit from side to side. Hermione eyes slowly parted. She cried out, as the crushing pressure in her chest returned. She looked up helplessly into his eyes and whispered, "Please help me…I am dying." Panic rippled throughout Snape's body. "You must tell me where you are hurt", he demanded. Hermione lifted her hand and pointed to her heart, "Here", she sobbed "It hurts here".
Snape's hands shook as he frantically separated her robe feeling around her chest for a wound. He couldn't feel any blood or any indication of what was causing her pain. He slid one arm underneath her knees and scooped her up.
"We must go see Madame Pomfrey." "Nooo", Hermione wailed as she threw her arms around his neck, as if she had no comprehension of who he was. "Please no" she begged. "I cant face anyone else", she buried her head in the warmth of his neck. Snape's body tensed as he felt the sensation of her trembling lip against his skin.
He hadn't the slightest clue as to why he complied with her request, when he should bring her to the infirmary, but he knew he needed to better examine her injuries. He carried her across the grounds and into Hogwarts, down the winding steps to his chambers and forced open the door with a swift kick.
He attempted to set her down on the chair before the fireplace, but she wouldn't release her grip around his neck. "You can release me" he said as he reached back and pried her hands apart. Finally, free of her grip and the unsettling closeness. He backed away and pulled his wand from his robe, crackling flames sprung to life in the fireplace.
She leaned over and rested her forehead on the arm of the chair. Her body still convulsing as she sobbed softly. "Who did this to you"?, he demanded. She didn't answer, she only cried harder. What if the attack had gone beyond just physical. His stomach harden into a ball of ice at the thought. He needed answers, and she was much too upset to give them.
He strode across the room. his robe billowing out behind him. He reached the wooden doors to a cabinet set into the wall and threw them open. Inside were row upon row of drawers. Snape counted… six rows down and three across. He pulled open the drawer revealing yet more rows containing glass vials filled with an array of multicolored contents.
Snape plucked from the drawer a vial containing a blue tinged liquid and made his way back to her.
Hermione sat in the chair unwilling to lift her head. She was completely humiliated. How had she let herself end up here of all places, with the most cold and uncomforting person possible. It wasn't by choice…she would have throw herself into the arms of Lord Voldemort himself, had he been standing there instead of Snape.
Her mind wandered back to Ron's last words to her, "Filthy mudblood", she said aloud, as she was hit with a fresh wave of sobbing. The words finally sinking in.
Snape kneeled beside the chair and held out the vial to her. "Here, this will help calm you". She tried to hold it but her hand trembled so much that the blue liquid threatened to spill over the top. Snape took the vial back with one hand while he grasped her wrist with his other hand and lowered it to her side.
"Open", he ordered. Hermione opened her mouth. Snape rested the edge of the vial on her swollen bottom lip and tipped it upwards, spilling its contents into her mouth. The glass making a clink as it tapped on her bottom teeth.
The effects of the sedative were immediate. The warmth spread from her lips, down her throat and continued to travel throughout her entire body. A tiny sigh escape her lips.
Snape could tell that the potion had its desired effect. "Now", he said as he took the seat across from her, "tell me exactly what happened to you".
Snape had to look at the vial again to be sure he had not inadvertently given Miss Granger a truth potion instead of a mild sedative. There was no mistake. However, Hermione poured forth every event of the night, in embarrassing detail.
She described how Malfoy's lips and hands had violated her…the laughing bunch of slitherin…the girl on Ron's lap and her insults…Her own pleadings to Ron…his cruel words…the feeling of his hand striking her…Ron's beating….and finally her escape from Knock Turn Alley ….that lead her into his arms.
As if being released by the entire events she just describe to him, Hermione's eyes closed, she was asleep.
He understood now. Her pain wasn't caused by any physical wound…it was an emotional one. He was easily capable of administering aid to a wound, but he was absolutely clueless on how to attend to the heart.
He paced around the room. He was pushed far beyond his comfort zone this evening. He couldn't allow her to sleep here…in his private chambers.
He glanced down at her, the firelight illuminating her face in an ethereal glow. Despite her swollen lip she looked positively angelic, as she lay sleeping in his chair, one rebellious curl escaping its pins to frame her face.
He stared down at her in amazement, it were as though he was seeing her for the first time. He pulled a blanket from the back of his sofa and knelt down beside her, gently draping it over her, tucking it in around her shoulders. As he did this, she whispered softly, "I love you", she was dreaming…Snape knew this, but the sweetness of her words affected him deeply.
He closed his eyes as he tilted his head down towards her, his nose softly grazed along her swollen cheek. Her skin smelled sweet…..he was lost…..lost completely in her innocents. His lips were so close to her, he could feel the warmth radiating from her skin, he suddenly jerked his head back, his hand touching his mouth as if her skin had burned his lips. He jumped to his feet and backed away from her, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't stay there with her a minute longer, he knew this now. It was then he realized… he could hurt her…he could hurt more…so.. much more than that boy every could.
He couldn't let that happen. He left her lying in his chair, peacefully sleeping, as he made his way to fetch Madame Pomfrey from the Infirmary. She could to tend to Miss Granger for the rest of the night.
