Change,
everything you are
and everything you were
your number has been called
fights and battles have begun
revenge will surely come
your hard times are ahead

Muse

Chapter 7

Several days had passed in a whirlwind of life lessons for Severus Snape.

The knowledge of taking care of another human being had never been imprinted into his brain before, and Severus was finding the task of learning rather…arduous.

That having been said, Snape was beginning to dread going to see Hermione.

It had been close to a week since she had been entrusted to his care, and as of yet, he had not gathered the courage to tell her to bathe.

So in accordance with the laws of nature…Hermione was becoming rather ripe.

Paling slightly at the thought that seemed to be constantly on his mind, and how could it not be with the prevailing stench of body odor, Severus stalked into Hermione's bedchamber.

She was pacing again, muttering and mumbling random snippets of obscure poetry. Her lank hair hung in greased ringlets that barely found the strength to flounce a bit with every abrupt turn she took. Her skin shone with an oily sheen, and it seemed as if her face was starting to breakout in small red bumps.

Ugh.

There was no having it. Hermione would have to bathe.

Mortified at what he was about to do, Severus began to imagine, in a fit of irrationality, that as soon as the dreaded words were uttered from his damned lips, Hermione would suddenly come to her senses shouting at him with horror etched across face.

Giving his head a harsh shake, Severus squared his shoulders, and pulled on his Professor Snape persona like a cloak.

With a demeaning tilt of his head, Severus looked down his prominent noise at the pacing girl, and in his best dangerously silken 'you are in so much trouble' voice, he ordered her to follow him to his lavatory.

Deftly turning on his heel, Severus strode from the room, stalking quickly down the corridor that led to his personal bathroom.

With a sudden jerk, Severus came to a halt in front of the closed door, causing Hermione to run into him. He hardly noticed.

He had forgotten to cover his mirror.

Sigh.

With a twist of his head, Severus glanced over his shoulder at Hermione who was standing placidly behind him.

"Hermione, turn around and face the opposite direction please and do not turn back until I tell you to do so." He barked out in an impatient tone.

Hermione obeyed without question.

That part of the whole deal still highly unnerved Severus. He found it…strange…to be in the company of such a complacent Hermione Granger.

One where no hand would be raised and no defiant chin jutting out.

Opening the door, Severus muttered a charm to cover the mirror, before surveying the rest of his lavatory. Nothing seemed to be out of place, and as far as he could tell, would be safe for her.

"Hermione, you may turn back around now and come into the bath." Severus barked once again.

Once again, Hermione complied.

"Fill up the bath with water of a comfortable temperature and bathe your self." Then, as almost an after thought, Severus added, "Please."

With a slow walk, Hermione went to the large porcelain bath and began to fill it with rather warm water if the steam rising from it was any measure.

Shrugging his shoulders, Severus ignored it.

Let the chit scald her body if she wanted to.

When she straightened to take off her clothing, he paled abruptly before flushing a crimson red, then pivoting to face away.

'Unbelievable! I feel like such a voyeur…' Severus cringed.

Damn Albus for putting in this position.

Hearing the splashing noise that indicated Hermione had gotten into the tub, Severus risked a glance in her direction.

She was indeed washing herself much to his immense relief. Then he remembered that he would have to wash her back and hair.

Damn him, damn him, damn damn damn.

Grinding his teeth in agitation, Severus walked to Hermione's pile of clothing and threw the foul smelling garments into his basket.

Striding out of the bathroom, feeling an instantaneous calm come over him as soon as he did, Severus went to grab fresh clothing for his ward.

He would NOT have her walking around in a towel.

He simply couldn't handle it.

Once back in the lavatory, Severus realized Hermione had finished bathing.

He felt slightly faint.

Done with her bath, Hermione had stood up, and stepped out of the tub, standing dripping wet on his marbled floor, and waiting.

Without a towel.

Because he had forgotten them.

Roaring at her to get back into the tub for Merlin's sake, Severus spun back out of the bathroom to grab towels, and to catch his breath.

Leaning against his bedroom wall, Severus took a deep breath trying to calm his racing heart.

He would have to change the way he addressed her in his mind from now on.

Hermione most definitely was NOT a little girl anymore.

Closing his eyes and leaning his head back to rest against the wall, Severus could see her image burned on his eyelids.

Glistening milky white skin gleaming in the steam from the bath.

Water running down her shapely curves; her face, freshly scrubbed and glowing.

Then he remembered her eyes; eyes that held no soul.

His arousal and embarrassment quickly fled.

It was a subdued Severus that walked back into the bathroom with towels clutched in his white knuckled fist.

Hermione, having obeyed his harsh command, was sitting patiently in the bath, mumbling nonsense softly once again..

Tossing the towels aside, Severus sat down on a conveniently placed stool behind Hermione's head.

"Hermione, I am going to wash your hair now, aright?" Severus inquired softly.

After a moment, Hermione nodded her assent.

"Thank you." She replied in bell like tones, before quieting completely.

Surprised, Severus sat there for a moment.

It was a rare moment indeed when Hermione displayed lucidity.

"You are welcome." He answered her in hushed tones, then began to lather her hair.

Severus was shocked to find the whole experience rather pleasant.

Hermione's hair was soft and springy, and the humming noises she made when he massaged her scalp brought a small smile of content to his face.

After her final rinse, Severus asked Hermione to stand and dry off, while handing her a towel.

Watching her, Severus was struck with intense curiosity.

Had she been as mortified as he at this whole ordeal?

Had she enjoyed having him wash her hair as much as he had enjoyed doing it?

The truly tempting part was that he knew he could find out.

Albus had explained that he knew Hermione's story because he had performed legilimency on her when he had found her in Malfoy Manor.

It was the only reason why he knew that her mind hadn't been completely destroyed.

Scattered and locked away, yes.

But irrevocably lost?

No.

According to Albus, Hermione's ordeal had been so traumatic, that her subconscious mind had detached itself from her conscious, blocking the emotions that the conscious mind was feeling, the fear, hatred, terror, pain…and became an observer.

Recording everything, yet feeling nothing.

Because of that fact, Albus had an easy time sifting through all the events, piecing together what was not readily available.

His mistake, however, had been delving into Hermione's trapped conscious mind.

The Headmaster became unexpectedly sucked in, the dueling voices of Lucius and Hermione echoing back and forth through the swirling jumble of combined memories.

He said he felt like he was suffocating from the intensity of all the emotions that were fighting for dominance.

Unable to handle it, Albus forced his way back out, collapsed to his knees, and retched.

He had knelt there, panting, before laying his head down on the bloodied bedcovers; weak and shivering next to her torn, abused shell.

The Headmaster had made Severus promise never to use legilimency on Hermione because of his experiences.

Even so, it was still very tempting.

However, Severus would abide by his promise.

For now.