Chapter Eight: Abduction
She needed security: something hard and firm that would ground her and steady her when she felt weak. He was her rock, her anchor to who she truly was inside. She had asked him to stay so that she could better hold onto reality. She had not expected him to oblige her outrageous request. She had expected him to respond by scolding her for her foolishness.
He had exceeded her expectations. He had accepted her request-albeit reluctantly-and had remained with her through the night so that she would not lose her way a second time. As she lay curled up on top of him, she found a sort of shelter in his arms, a wall of stability in the hardness of his body, and sensibility, knowing that he was a very smart man, capable of pulling her through the trials that awaited her in the very near future.
As much as they often disliked one another, Hermione knew that she could trust Snape with her life. He would not let her down because it was his duty as a teacher, as a mentor, as a stronger, wiser adult to watch over and to guide her. He still carried Dumbledore's high standards of himself upon his shoulders as a necessary burden, and his determined character would not allow him to falter under their weight. And so, Hermione knew that no matter what arose between them, she was in good, strong, capable hands on this journey, and therefore had nothing to fear.
It was with these thoughts as her last, she quickly gave into the hypnotic pull of slumber, drifting off to rise again with a kind of newfound hope and rejuvenation. When she did find herself conscious once more, the first thing she realized was that Snape had not gone. Much to her surprise, he had indeed stayed the entire night, his warm body enfolded around her as if to keep her safe from harm.
She smiled on the inside, grateful to him in a way no words could express. Yet another emotion came to her, one that was not unfamiliar. In fact, she had found herself pondering over this emotion for quite some time now, and it still baffled her.
A familiar warmth began to build in her breast, becoming so strong that it morphed into a kind of pressure that she felt she had to release, though she didn't know how. She felt a somewhat giddy pleasure, and she found herself not wanting to move-not wanting to let this moment end. She found she wanted to stay wrapped within his arms for a very long time. She fought back a shiver at the feel of his breath catching in her hair.
She flushed as she finally took notice of the bulge against her belly that stood as a testimony that he was a man. The memory of him shirtless the day before caused her cheeks to turn even darker. Hermione kept her eyes closed, hoping that if he was no longer asleep, he would believe that she still was. She didn't want to have to explain herself-
"Get up, Miss Granger. You needn't lie about all day. And what do you have to be embarrassed about, I wonder?" came Snape's calm, collected voice, which held an edge of curiosity.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open, trying to stop the rising color that was fast flooding her face. "N-nothing…Sorry, Sir," she said, not wanting to move, but forcing herself to sit up off of him anyway.
He righted himself, his eyes flitting to her face in momentary concern. "Are you alright? Did you sleep well enough?"
"Y-yes, Sir," she replied. Good God, Granger, get a hold of yourself! she thought. It's not like you didn't know his gender before! And he's your teacher! Shame on you for thinking too much of such things!
Snape quirked a brow as he replaced his boots and got to his feet, immensely curious about the odd expression upon the girl's face. It was so…odd, so…different. What he wouldn't give for the liberty of using Legilimancy at that moment.
Or maybe not. Perhaps he didn't really want to know in which direction her wheels were turning.
"Fair enough. Remember that you are not to ask such a thing of me again, are we clear on that, Miss Granger?" Surely she could piece together why such a thing would be inappropriate. Judging by the knowing look on her face, she did.
She nodded. "Yes."
"Good. Grab something to eat," he said, turning to leave her alone. "But feel free to take your time. It seems we needn't be in any great hurry."
Hermione watched him walk toward the tent flap, filled with something similar to guilt. Her words stopped him from moving any further.
"Professor," she blurted, slowly rising to her feet. "I…I'm sorry…"
Her words touched his ears, but he wasn't sure exactly what she meant. Her voice broke slightly on the last word, and he questioned whether she really was okay.
"I didn't mean…for any of this to happen. And I'm sorry that I've become a burden to you: that you have to drag me along to find the Wolfsbane when you have much more important things to do with your time. I'm so sorry for the incredible inconvenience I've caused…"
And she was sorry. She had seen the diminishing hope within his features as well as her own; had noticed that he didn't want to be scouring the mountains of New Zealand in search of two of the most elusive plants in potion making. Plus, she was well aware of the fact that he didn't care for her. She was a Gryffindor. She was a brainiac. She was Harry Potter's best friend. In her mind, it was blatantly obvious that Severus Snape was probably extremely displeased with the situation in which he now found himself.
Severus heaved a quiet sigh, but did not turn to look at her. The girl missed nothing. She knew he was not exactly thrilled to be here in the mountains with her for almost a month. But he knew her reasons for thinking this were only part of the whole truth. When he spoke, it was with a strange resignation, but not a forced calmness.
"You don't need to be sorry…Contrary to what you may believe, I do not hold you responsible for what has been done. And to my knowledge, no one goes looking to be bitten by a werewolf. Sometimes, things just…happen…There is no use in pointing fingers or letting ourselves be overcome with irrational irritation at things that could not be helped."
She was quiet for a long time, yet he stood there, sensing there was something else she had to say. He waited patiently, still facing the doorway, not wanting to meet her gaze. At last, her voice came to his ears in little more than a whisper.
"I'm sorry for last night…I shouldn't have asked-"
"Don't mention it," he said stiffly, his body tensing. "Ever."
Hermione was slightly taken aback by his swift dismissal of the subject. But why should she be surprised? Of course he would not want to dwell on the matter. He would want to cast the memory aside, never to bother him again. In reality, it should never have happened. But it had. Now, she expected the repercussions of the simple act of comfort.
She received none, however. He simply dismissed the subject with a wave of his hand and left the tent with quick, graceful strides, obviously eager to bypass that topic of conversation altogether.
X-X-X
An hour or so later, he stood upon that rock beside the stream, waiting and watching. He had told Granger they need not be in any hurry since they were far from finding what they were looking for anyway, but he certainly hoped she didn't take all day to get ready to head off again. He heard her cast the spell to pack up the tent and turned his torso toward her.
"Ready?"
"Yes," she said with a nod, walking up beside the rock on which he stood. "Are you?"
He looked ahead, then without another word, he leapt gracefully over the stream, landing smoothly on the other side. His eyes drifted down to his feet. Interesting. So he was beginning to show more signs of being a wolf. He frowned, knowing that he would have to watch himself, lest he give away what he'd tried so hard to keep from Granger. He looked back at her to find she was staring at him, no doubt wondering how he'd managed such a feat. The stream was nearly four yards wide.
He lifted a brow, simply motioning for her to follow without asking questions. She obeyed, leaping across the stream just as gracefully. He turned from her then, heading off before she could become too curious, and she trailed after him without saying a word.
The day passed just as slowly as all the others. The sun was out, the day was rather warm with a cool breeze. The terrain was rough, but neither Snape nor Hermione seemed to struggle. Sometime after noon, they topped a rise, their eyes scanning the forests and fields before them. Hermione sighed.
"Professor…? Do you really think we're going to find what we're looking for? I mean, it seems rather hopeless, doesn't it? We've been wandering around in these mountains for almost a month…"
"Come, Miss Granger, surely you are not asking such a profound question? You aided Potter in his year-long search for Horcruxes, did you not? Dumbledore put you three up to that immense task and you didn't even know what you were looking for. Surely you won't lose your patience so easily?"
"Well…no…But how do we know we're in the right place? How can we be sure that man knew what he was talking about when he told you the herbs were here in New Zealand?"
"We don't know. But we have no choice but to…" He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he caught the scent of something very familiar…Was his nose deceiving him? "Come," he commanded as he headed down the rise and into a grassy area littered with many different types of plants and herbs.
Hermione followed without questioning him. After eight years, she had come to know that you never questioned Severus Snape. One just had to do as he said and hope for the best.
She had to nearly jog to keep up with his swift movements as they weaved their way through the tall brush and the few trees that stood among the plants that had taken over the valley. When had he gotten so fast? she wondered.
When Snape stopped, Hermione almost ran into him. She looked up at his face, then followed his eyes down to the odd looking plant at his feet.
"What is that?" she asked, blinking as she stared at the large, pale, velvety leaves and the fuzzy stems off of which very large, red thorns grew. There were a few tiny flowers on the plant, little blooms of blood red. The bottom of the plant near its roots was stained purple.
"Fanged Geranium," he murmured, partially unable to believe his own eyes.
"What? You mean…we've found it?"
"Yes, 'it,'" he said blandly. "This is only one of the two herbs we need. But this means that we are one step closer to returning to Hogwarts."
A smile lit Hermione's face as she knelt down beside him to examine the exquisite herb. It was beautiful; she'd never seen anything like it! For a moment, her thoughts went to Neville, thinking that he'd love to see the Fanged Geranium for himself to study it.
"It's beautiful…" she whispered.
"It doesn't matter what it looks like, all that matters is that we managed to locate it. It seems Ferrenwood knew what he was talking about after all," Snape mused as he bent down beside her. "You are a smart witch, Granger. I suppose since you will need to take this potion religiously now, then you should learn how to make it."
She looked at her professor, noting the little smirk upon his handsome face (yes, she would concede that he was handsome in his own way, though why the thought crossed her mind, she wasn't quite sure). His eyes flickered to her, then back to the plant as his fingers brushed over the velvety leaves. "This is not what you need from this plant to create the Wolfsbane potion. You need the thorns: three thorns per brew. Now, since these plants are so rare, I recommend we gather all the thorns we can. Pluck every one you see."
She nodded, looking around and finding that there were a vast number of plants. No doubt this task would take the rest of the day.
"Since you will need this potion throughout the rest of your life, I also suggest picking quite a few of the flowers. Inside each flower are roughly five seeds. It would be wise to grow your own plants to have so that you don't have to make these trips again. It is quite troublesome…"
"So, pluck the thorns and pick the flowers. Got it."
"Right. Let's set to work then."
As Hermione had predicted, gathering the parts of the Fanged Geranium that they needed took the rest of the afternoon and carried over into evening. At last, they had stripped the beautiful plants of all their thorns and quite a number of the dark red blossoms. She smiled as she examined the stock in wonder, her hope having returned. Perhaps this mission would not be in vein after all.
"Time to rest, unless you'd like to continue on in the dark," Severus called to her as he stepped out from the forest and back into the meadow. He, too, was relieved that they had managed to find at least one of the herbs. Now all that remained was the Wolfsbane itself. Although, he wondered if he would have even found the plant if it hadn't been for his werewolf senses-something he didn't mention to Granger.
"No," said Hermione, standing and taking a few steps toward him as he drifted closer to her, his robes once again giving him the illusion of the Grim Reaper in the dim light of evening. "We can stay the night here if that's alright with you."
He nodded. "Good. You look tired. You can hardly focus your eyes," he said in mild humor as a slight grin tugged at his lips.
Hermione blinked a few times, looking away from him and trying to gain control of her vision. "You're right. I'll be back," she said, walking past him and into the trees from which he had just come.
He lifted a brow as he followed her with his eyes. "Where are you going?"
She paused and looked back at him with an odd expression. "I suppose the same place you just went."
Immediately, Severus snapped his head forward again, not asking after it anymore. As if that answer wasn't obvious. Why had he even asked? As Hermione disappeared into the woods, he marched to the base of the hill and sat down in the soft, cool grass. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to fully relax, a feeling of accomplishment washing over him. One down, only one to go…Could it be near? Would they possibly find it soon? He certainly hoped so…
X-X-X
As Hermione wandered into the woods to find a place to take care of her own private business, she spun with joy at the discovery they'd made. At last! It felt as if they were getting somewhere! She desperately hoped that it wouldn't take them much longer to locate the Wolfsbane. Then they could return to the castle and begin the brewing process. Nightmare over.
Upon answering nature's call, she found a tiny pool of water which she utilized in order to clean herself up, humming a tune as she did so. Feeling sweaty and dirty, she decided that a bath might be necessary, so she stripped off her clothes and dove in, praying that Snape would not come to track her down anytime soon. It felt good to have a bit of privacy, to be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of the night and the refreshing sensation of the water, still warm from the sun's rays, soothing upon her soft skin.
A growl came to her ears and she stopped her humming to glance around a bit nervously. Had she imagined the sound?
"Professor?" she called quietly, immediately covering herself in case he did show his face. Not that he would see too much in the dark anyway, not unless her teacher somehow had night vision.
No answer came, however, and she shrugged. It was probably a coyote or some animal that was ultimately harmless to her. Animals didn't normally attack unless they were provoked. Plus, her wand was in the pocket of her pants which lay on the bank within reach if she needed to use it.
The growl came again a few moments later, but this time, it was much closer. Hermione felt her heart beat quicken. An anxious fear crept over her as she looked around again. She didn't dare say a word. Instead, she waded back over to the bank and stepped out of the water, beginning the process of replacing her clothes after casting a charm to dry herself.
Again, the sound of the growl echoed from somewhere behind her. She grabbed her shirt and struggled to put it on. But before she could slip the garment over her head, something grabbed her.
She screamed. A hand silenced her, and a strong arm wound around her stomach like a vice, pinning her arms to her sides and making it nearly impossible to break free. She was instantly frightened. She was shirtless, powerless, and she knew that whoever had grabbed her was a man.
She struggled against her captor, trying to free herself, but to no avail. Her wand, which she had replaced inside her back pocket, was suddenly taken away. She heard it drop in the grass somewhere to her right, and she tried even harder to squirm out of the man's grip.
"So, you're a witch, too, huh? Can't have you blastin' me with your hocus pocus, or runnin' away now can we? No…So just settle down and you'll be just fine…"
Hermione tried to elbow him in the stomach, but failed. Before she could really get a grip on her current situation, she felt herself being whisked away, her abductor leaping gracefully from one tree to another, taking her farther and farther from her safe haven…
X-X-X
His eyes had been closed for so long that he began to feel the pull of sleep. It was so tempting to give into the darkness and the silence of the world that belonged to his subconscious, but he would not allow himself to truly rest until Granger returned safe and sound.
As he sat there, he began to wonder what was taking her so long. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Wherever she was, he was sure she was alright. She was a strong, capable woman: a woman who had recently become a werewolf. He was sure she could take care of herself. And if not, she would surely call for his help.
But the longer he sat there, the more worried he became. It was not like her to stay away from camp for very long. She was smart enough to know the dangers of the night, especially after being attacked.
His eyes widened and he sat up as the faint echo of a woman's scream caught his attention. No, it couldn't be. He had to have imagined…
He sniffed the air, catching the scent that hadn't been present before. It didn't smell feminine. It smelled…distinctly masculine.
He shot to his feet, fear coursing through his entire body. No, she couldn't be…?
But he knew that she was in trouble. He knew it with every fiber of his being. He could sense it, deep within his veins which were slowly freezing over with dread. Cursing, he took off into the forest as quickly as his feet could carry him. He allowed the wolf he'd kept inside to rear its head and guide him in the direction of the woman who needed his aid.
His heart beat in such a way that he could feel his pulse throughout his entire body. The adrenaline flowed through him, all of his senses running wild.
He stopped suddenly at the stream, his face horror stricken at the sight of her baby blue shirt and her wand lying on the ground, the girl nowhere in sight. He stooped to pick the items from the grass, the scent of the strange male overwhelming now. He smelled the shirt, smelling her, and smelling him…
The hair on the back of his neck rose with a growl. No! They'd taken her! They'd taken his mate! Looking around, he guessed she'd been bathing in the stream. Seeing as how her pants and undergarments were gone, she'd been in the process of dressing herself when her attacker had made his move.
There was no way in hell he would let the bastard responsible for this get away. Rising again, Severus stuffed her wand into his robes, placing the shirt within the extendable pouch he carried with him. Then he took off, following the scent that lead away from the stream and to the woman he had claimed as his own.
Hold on, Granger, you foolish girl. I'm coming! I won't let them harm you! My lover…My lover…I won't let them take you away from me!
He growled furiously as his feet went in the direction his nose led him. The anger, the rage, spread within him like fire. That feeling of possession drove him forward to reclaim what was rightfully his, his growls becoming more frequent, turning into furious snarls. No! No! How could he have let this happen?
He would find her. He would. And the bastard that took her was going to pay dearly for his mistake. Snape would make damn sure of that.
A/N: Yay! Cliffhanger! ;D Fun for me, torture for you! LOL! You wanted possessive Snape, well you're going to get him. Will he get to Hermione in time? Will he destroy the prick that took her? Will he use the -GASP- Killing Curse? O.O Or will something else be revealed? :O Watch out for the next chapter! It's sure to be INTENSE! XD BWAHAHAHAHA! I'm so evil…
