A/N – Well, this chapter is up much sooner than expected thanks to my annoying sinus problems and the fact that they prevented me from attending my yoga class today. So, instead I'm doing my other form of relaxation…writing! Thanks to the three of you who reviewed after chapter 7. I was a little disappointed that I didn't receive more feedback. It really helps, so if you're feeling even slightly inclined to review…please do! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy Chapter 8: Whispers. You're going to get a lot more of Snape in this chapter. I hope I do him justice…He's such a powerful character.
Dark Ecstasy
by Chantal
Chapter Eight: Whispers
Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me into madness
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away…
Don't turn away
Don't give in to the pain
Don't try to hide
Though they're screaming your name
Don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light
Never sleep never die…
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
She beckons me shall I give in
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for, I rise to meet the end…
~`~`~`~`~
Severus Snape was thrashing around on the brown leather couch in his office. Sweat was gliding down the sides of his face and dripping into the spaces of his closed eyes. Disturbed murmurs escaped his lips as his hands reached out for someone who was not there. The images passing through his dreaming mind were the same he'd endured since privately denouncing the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters so many years ago. They were always the same and no matter how much dreamless sleep potion or alcohol he consumed, they never missed one of Snape's slumbers.
"They're all dead, Snape. You can stop pretending now. We know who you are, Traitor." The voice was dripping with hate and contempt as another blow contacted with the side of his face.
Another voice…younger, but filled with the same hate as the previous one. "You are truly pathetic, Professor. What on Earth made you think that your precious Order would defeat the most powerful wizard…no, the most powerful being…that has graced this world since Salazar Slytherin? I'm disgusted to even know you!" Another blow met the beaten man's face followed by another round of Crucio.
Snape's body writhed and twisted with the same blinding pain he'd felt countless times before. 'How could this have happened?' he wondered. 'How could we have lost? We were in the right! So many counted on my abilities to thwart the dark followers…How did I fail?'
As if reading his thoughts, the first voice answered his personal questions. "You were never a match for me or my son, let alone the Dark Lord himself. You thought far too much of yourself to think that you could outsmart us! Harry Potter was lucky until my son got to him. You, you're just a joke! Those people who counted on you were just plain stupid! It's all over now, though…at least for them. You'll need to pay for your deception before our Lord will even think of letting me kill you. And I promise you…it will not be quick and painless… I'm going to make you suffer like I did your precious Dumbledore, you worthless excuse for man!"
The other voice just laughed and hit him with Crucio again.
It was here that Severus would usually wake shaking and horrified, but not this time. For the first time, Severus felt that last bout of Crucio end and a glorious feeling of healing encompass his body.
There was a soft white light and his vision was blurry, but before him stood the form of a woman. She knelt down next to his lying body and stroked the hair off of his face soothing him in a way he had never known. She whispered that everything was going to be okay, that he was safe, and that everyone he loved was still alive. He was their hero and she loved him for it. She was there to take all the pain away. Severus blinked and tried to focus on the woman's face, but couldn't. Her voice and form were somehow familiar and when he touched her hand he knew he was meeting his soul mate.
"Thank you" was all his strained voice could utter. She smiled in response and kissed him gently on the lips.
It was with this overwhelming feeling of peace and contentment that he hadn't known for most of his life that Severus Snape opened his eyes and rejoined the real world. He just lay there blinking, trying to adjust to the sudden awakening. 'What was that? What just happened here? And who was she?" Snape sat up and rested his head in his hands.
He sat there for what seemed like hours when he realized that he'd missed dinner and that Miss Granger would be there at any moment for her concealment treatment.
'I'd better get myself put together…I don't want her to see me like this,' he thought just seconds before he heard a soft tapping on his office door.
~`~`~`~`~
Hermione sat at the very end of the Gryffindor table alone, trying to ignore the combined angry, confused, and concerned looks Harry, Ron, and later, Ginny were sending her way. She was pushing the food around on her plate with no real appetite present. As the Optare Potion was running blissfully through her veins, Hermione was vaguely aware Draco Malfoy was also observing her intently. She was wondering how she was going to get to Snape's office in the dungeons without Draco noticing. She felt strangely disloyal for having that thought.
Her friends were confused with what Ron reported that Malfoy had said. "Do you think he was telling the truth?" Ginny whispered so that only Harry and Ron could hear; although Hermione knew that they were talking about her. She really didn't blame them.
"I don't know…Merlin, I hope not! What could she be thinking associating with that Slytherin ferret? Do you think he's holding something over her? She was gone all day…what if she was under some kind of spell that whole time?" Ron's voice was getting more and more desperate. He began to get up to talk to her, when he felt Harry's hand on his shoulder.
"Wait, Ron. Look…Malfoy's coming over. Don't move. Let's see what we can learn by watching them." Harry's eyes were fixed on the pale blonde who was sauntering over to Gryffindor table.
It was all Ron could do to sit still and watch the exchange about to take place.
"Okay, Hermione, let's go. I'm ready," Draco began with a confident voice. He took her hand and she rose without hesitation.
"Alright," she whispered.
Hermione's three friends watched with unchecked gaping mouths as she submitted easily to Malfoy's demands. After she left, they turned their attention to each other. Harry broke the silence. "This is serious, but I still think we need to be careful. Hermione is most definitely not acting like herself, but I don't want to alienate her. Ron, promise you will not do anything rash. We need to be careful."
Ron remained uncharacteristically silent as his gaze returned to the spot where Hermione disappeared with his most hated enemy.
~`~`~`~`~
"I will be here tomorrow morning to pick you up for breakfast at the latest. I may be back later, if I feel like it…so expect me at anytime. Remember, no other visitors." Malfoy caressed Hermione's cheek and then reached in and bit her fiercely on her neck. She gasped in both surprise and pain, but made no effort to push him away. He left a nasty bite mark that was quickly bruising.
"Just a little something…visible…to mark what's mine. Until later, love." He smacked her on her behind and walked briskly in the direction of the dungeons.
'Okay, Hermione, you heard him…you need to stay put. What if he returns and you're not here. You don't want to upset him, do you? But what about the treatment? Snape's expecting you…"
~`~`~`~`~
Severus Snape opened the door to his office expecting to see Hogwarts' Head Girl. Instead, he was greeted with the school's Head Boy, Draco Malfoy.
Draco sneered at the disheveled appearance of his Head of House, but didn't comment. Rather, he took the professor's silence as an opening for delivering his message.
"Sir, I have a message for you. It's from my father."
Snape glared at the annoying boy. "Well, what is it? I haven't got all night."
"Yes, well, I have been instructed to tell you that you may continue to conceal Hermione Granger's markings, but you are to give me the ability to remove the concealment and you are not to attempt to remove the markings even if Dumbledore requests you do so. You are to stall him. My father and the Dark Lord have plans for my favorite mudblood. Owl Lucius if you require any further information." Draco just stood there with his arms crossed leaning on the office door's doorframe feeling very cocky.
Snape was seething. 'How dare he! What plans? That little bastard…hiding behind Daddy's orders. He wants Hermione under his control. When did all this start? Doesn't matter, anyway. With those bonds concealed, Draco will have no power over her.' Snape had no idea how wrong he was.
"Draco, I can't give you the ability to remove the concealment I used on Miss Granger's wrists. It is not safe for her and you can't be allowed to control another student at Hogwarts. Dumbledore will know. You're just going to have to rely on your charm if you want her so badly." Snape just smirked at the younger Malfoy thinking she'd never have him in a million years.
"We'll see about that, Sir! My father will know about your defiance!" Draco was pissed and turned to storm out of the classroom.
"Mr. Malfoy, you forget yourself…I advise you to watch your tongue, lest I need to cut it out of your lying mouth! Now get out!" Draco stood with his back to Snape as he listened to his idle threat. Idle as it was, it did illicit a shiver out of the younger man as he made his way out.
"Your brave now, Snape…just wait until my father finds out you've denied him his request," Draco whispered as he made his way back to his room.
~`~`~`~`~
Between his strange experiences with his altered dream and the delusional Head Boy, Severus almost forgot about Hermione.
'Where is that girl? She is late, again. Oh, damn it! What if she came while Malfoy was here? She probably ran in the opposite direction.' Snape reasoned silently.
Severus retrieved the concealment salve and a dreamless sleep potion, just in case, and set off for the Head Girl's room.
~`~`~`~`~
Hermione Granger was pacing in her bedroom while little beads of perspiration appeared on her forehead and upper lip. She gathered her unruly hair in a ponytail and shed her robes in an effort to cool down. When she threw her robe on the couch she glanced at her wrist and saw that the concealment was fading.
'What am I going to do now? I can't let these things be seen by anyone!'
Just then, she heard her Potions Professor calling her name from the other side of her portrait. She practically ran to let him in.
"Oh, Sir, am I glad to see you! Look! They're starting to show again! Will you fix them?" She looked at him with pleading eyes and absentmindedly touched his hand. As soon as their hands connected, Snape felt a wave of peace wash over him. It was all so familiar, but he couldn't figure why.
Snape snapped his head up as he realized he was staring at their connected hands. "Um, yes, indeed, Miss Granger, I will help you. Did you come back here when you saw Mr. Malfoy standing in my office threshold?"
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "I, uh, yeah…Malfoy?...in your office? What did he want? What did he tell you?"
It was because of Hermione's strange reaction that he studied her face more intently. 'Something is very wrong with her…her eyes…' His musing was interrupted when she spoke again.
"Sir, can you please conceal these now? I hate them. No, I'm sorry, I don't. Please don't get mad…" She was feeling the effects of exposed bonds and the Optare Potion wearing off.
"Calm yourself, Miss Granger. Hold out your wrists." Snape concealed the bonds again and Hermione felt a faint feeling of relief.
"Miss Granger, may I ask what's going on between you and Mr. Malfoy? Did he do that to your neck?" Snape asked somewhat kindly as he gently stroked the bite mark.
Hermione's eyes widened once again, but since the bonds were hidden again, she didn't feel compelled to answer truthfully. Snape's touch was incredibly soothing and sensual. She wanted to reach out to him, but she needed to keep her relationship with Draco a secret or else risk giving up her beloved potion.
"No, Professor Snape. Nothing is going on, Sir…nothing at all," she whispered.
~`~`~`~`~
The lyrics from the beginning of this chapter are excerpts from the song "Whisper" by Evanescence. These words have been a great inspiration.
