"You're more than welcome to help yourself to my shampoo." Snape declared for the fifth time. Hermione's mouth dropped for the fifth time as well and before she could lecture him on the meaning behind the nutrients his shampoo was missing, he raised a hand. "Alright. Fine. We'll go to your house and pick your stuff up."

He had grown tired of hearing her wish for her things. The past few days had been nothing but 'my soap smells so much better,' and 'my shampoo gets my hair much softer,' and 'my pillow's are fluffier.' He had made the mistake of snapping at her, explaining to her that it was risky letting her leave, that when she threatened the tears he had no defenses left. Giving in just to shut her up was his only choice and his final consent to joining her had made her smile, something he had grown accustomed to wanting to see on her. Sometimes it took nothing more than allowing her to read a few potions books he classified as restricted, while other times it was nothing more than letting her tuck her feet under his legs when they sat on the sofa to keep them warm. Though he still had to bite his tongue and remind himself why she was there in the first place, he found her company to be unobtrusive and something he didn't know he'd actually start enjoying. He made himself believe that it was for the intellectual debates they had rather than the companionship he didn't know he was missing.

Arriving at her house, he didn't know what to expect from her. Certain that she'd have a moment, he stayed behind her until the house was searched, both of them walking with their wands out and clearing every room to make sure Weasley hadn't returned or unexpected company had been there. Snape had opted to wait in the living room while Hermione gathered the things she needed. Not more than five minutes into flipping blindly through a coffee table book was he running up the stairs toward the sound of his name being called in a blood-curdling scream.

He found Hermione in the master bathroom. She stood, gripping her left hand. Her hand was a bloody mess, appearing as if the skin had been eaten away, layer by layer until the tips of the bones in her fingers were shown. Quick to react, Snape drew his wand and began muttering incantations as fast as his tongue and lips would let them. Whatever it was had eaten through most of her hand, stopping at the base of her thumb. She was quivering, holding back screams.

"Now would be an appropriate time to cry." Snape mused as he came to a spell that seemed to stop the injury. He heard Hermione giggle and lifted an eyebrow to her. She was still holding back, the rebel.

"What caused this?" He asked and Hermione pointed to the bathtub where her shampoo bottle laid, the top off and the liquid from inside snaking its way to the drain. It was eating away at the porcelain of the tub, smoldering and smoking.

"It appears someone had depended on you returning for your things." He grabbed a towel that had been rolled and placed on a shelf, wrapping it around her hand.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped. Snape let her hand loose.

"Is that hurting you?"

"No, the towel's white. The bloodstain will never come out."

"For Merlin's sake." Snape narrowed her eyes at her and continued using the towel, wrapping her hand up. "You have everything, yes?"

Hermione nodded.

"Then lets head back, get your hand taken care of. Leave any liquids behind as I dare say they've tainted all of them. Don't want to take the chance and find out, though."

"But my-"

"-Not. Another. Word." Snape spoke dangerously. He bowed his forehead at Hermione before bowing it toward the door. Hermione, pouting, held the towel tightly to her hand and walked out. Snape grabbed the small bag she had packed before they reached Spinners End again.

Snape rushed her to his potions room and pushed her down into an overstuffed chair before hurrying to a cabinet that sat in the corner. The cabinet was larger than him and made from oak, two doors swung open and he went through the potions until he found the one he was looking for. It was green, kept in a clear bottle, and appeared thick as it barely moved as he went back to her. Uncapping it, he raised his hand in the air and a stank of towels flew through the air, settling on the ground beside him. He took Hermione's hurt hand, unwrapped the now soiled towel and studied it. When he pulled on her sleeve, moving it up her arm, she fidgeted.

"Am I hurting you?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No." She said, empty. "I'm just not fond of people being close to that arm."

Looking down at her arm, when he pulled up her sleeve he had revealed a light scar. An 'O' and a 'D' were visible. Against her small protest, he moved the sleeve further up, revealing the word 'mudblood.' The scar was light. Old. He wouldn't have noticed it if he wasn't looking.

"In the war, when we were captured at Malfoy Mannor, Bellatrix carved it into my arm."

Snape ran his thumb lightly over it. He knew they were captured and tortured, but nothing more had been said of it.

"Bellatrix was a bitch." Snape said. "We never got along, and for good reason. Keep your hand there." Snape let her arm go and tipped some of the potion into the towel. He returned to her hand, drawing the potion down, over the raw and bloody mess. It stuck to her, coating her hand and was cooling, a sensation Hermione did not expect to feel.

"I don't suppose you'd have anything in that cabinet that makes scars go away?" Hermione asked quietly. Snape turned her hand over and applied some potion to her palm, his eyes flicking up to hers before looking down again.

"That scar isn't anything to be ashamed about, Miss Granger." He said, tutting her when she started to argue. "The memory attached to it may be quite horrible, but all of that is over. That scar is a badge of courage, something you lived through and triumphed over. If you really want, we can see if any potions would work, but I really think you should treat that scar as a prize won instead of a torture given."

"It's just hard seeing it every day. All the memories attached to who gave it to me...I can't see it anything other than a scar. And Ron pointing it out, I just don't like it anymore."

Snape finished her hand and put the towel down. He sighed, studying Hermione for a moment before pulling back his own sleeve on his left arm. His Dark Mark blended into his arm, but the lines of the skull and protruding snake were still clearly visible against his fair skin.

"I'm reminded daily of this, but my thoughts are hard pressed on why I have it in the first place. He didn't just give these to anyone, only to his must trusted. I received it because I loved someone so deeply to save her and protect her child just as much as you did to receive your mark. I regret it every single day, but there is also not a day that goes by without knowing if it hadn't of been for receiving the scar, life would have turned out differently and not in a favorable outcome."

Hermione looked from his arm to hers. She had tried thinking of it differently, but seeing the word scratched into her arm from the woman who she hated the most in life, it was hard to make peace with it. It wasn't that she wasn't proud to be a Mudblood still, it's what she was after all, but the torture she had been put through was still something that woke her up in a cold sweat at nighttime.

Snape waved his hand at a towel, transforming it into a long bandage and wrapped her hand.

"I don't have any proper bandages at the moment. Never really expected to heal a whole hand before." He stated. "Not to worry, Merlin knows I have enough towels."

Hermione had laid down for nape and Snape found it a good time to contact Harry, knowing he'd need to know about Hermione's hand. He lowered his face into the green flames and saw Harry on his couch.

"Potter." Snape greeted and Harry gave a start. The books and papers he had on his lap flew through the air, and scattered on the ground as they landed. Snape gave an amused smirk as Harry rose from his seat and settled before the fireplace.

"It's never good to be absorbed in your work that deeply." Snape said. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I simply wasn't expecting visitors." He said. Snape gave a nod.

"I have some news actually. As it seems, Granger's safety is more dire than we thought."

"What do you mean?"

"Either Weasley is trying to kill her or he's not the only one we have to watch out for. She had a little mishap that about did away with her hand."

"What?" Harry shrieked, growing closer to the fire. "Is she alright? What happened?"

"She'll be without the use of her left hand until her skin grows back. Someone had poisoned her shampoo. Thankfully she spilled it before using it, or I'm afraid the damage would have been greater and she couldn't have been saved."

Harry let out a growl. He stood and began pacing, his hands balling up into fists at his sides. Snaped watched him until he stopped in front of the fire again.

"I'm going to Paris." He stated matter-of-factly. "I'm going back there, finding Ron, and beating the -shit- out of him."

"As much as I agree with you, might I suggest going about it with a cool head at first?"

Harry shot him a look. "You aren't stopping me from-"

"Stopping you? No, I urge you to go. I'm only suggesting before you harm Weasley to take the situation into consideration. I could care less how you deal with him, but might I remind you there's something behind this and if Weasley is, in fact, bewitched, there's no way you'll get it out of him."

"Fine. I'll just talk with him, then." Harry's tone was still angry if only to please Snape, but his body language suggested the first thought was still highly probable.

"I shall leave you to decide." Snape said before lifting up a small piece of paper. "But first, would you mind running some errands for Granger? She's quite persistent on having her own things and going out with her does not seem a smart option right now."

Harry reached into the flames and took the list.

"Good luck, Potter." Snape said with meaning, before pulling his head back from the flames.

A/N: Hope everyone had a great Easter! I promise bunches of words in the next chapter! Thank you to all my reviewers and followers! Love you guys!