A/N:
TRIGGER WARNING: Miscarriage.
I'm sorry this chapter took so long and is shorter than the others. It's about to get very very involved, and I'm trying to figure out how exactly I want to go about the themes coming up.
Thanks!
The moment their feet hit the ground, Hermione doubled over in pain. She heard Severus curse under his breath and she was pulled to the reception desk. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but with panic melding with pain, she found the task incredibly difficult. With one arm wrapped around her middle, and the other in Severus' firm grasp, she stared at the floor until she was addressed.
"What are we seeing you for today?" The mediwitch asked in a tone that suggested she felt anything but interest in their situation.
"I think I'm having a miscarriage," Hermione said quickly.
"And you're pregnant?" The mediwitch asked, deadpan. Hermione saw Severus' nostrils flair and he seemed to be having an inner debate with the kinder side of himself, but that side lost in the end.
"Would she be having a miscarriage otherwise?" He snapped. The mediwitch looked up finally, and jerked her head toward the waiting area.
"Have a seat. Someone will be with you when they're available." Severus slammed a fist down on the counter, causing both women to jump.
"Get someone. Now."
"You don't intimidate me, Professor Snape. Not anymore. Go have a seat," It suddenly dawned on Hermione that this grumpy woman had been two years ahead of her in school. Still sneering, Severus tugged Hermione, who was fully in tears by this point, to the waiting area and pushed her gently into a hard-backed chair. She bent over her knees in an effort to stem the flow of pain to her abdomen. It didn't help.
They waited one hour. And then another. Severus had gone up to inquire about their waiting time three times, but was now staring at the clock with his arms crossed and his jaw set. Hermione had visited the loo twice. By the third hour, a Healer finally called them back, shaking his head at the witch at reception. Severus helped Hermione up, taking her hand and leading her to follow the Healer back into an observation room. He made a couple comments about her miscarriage, waved his wand over her abdomen and silvery set of numbers appeared, presumably fetal age and heart rate. The first number read twelve. The second, zero. Hermione's heart sank.
"I'm sorry, Mister Snape, Missus Snape. There's nothing we can do," Severus hissed through his teeth and she saw his face drop into one hand out of the corner of her eye. "It'll pass on its own, there's no need for intervention. However, I would recommend a mild pain potion and a sedative. You have my condolences."
When they arrived home, Hermione went straight to the sofa. She hadn't cried, which concerned Severus more than if she'd sobbed the whole way home, but she hadn't shed a single tear. He wanted to cry. And once he had her covered with a blanket, and dosed up on the necessary potions, he disappeared into the bedroom they shared and did just that.
-v-
Severus woke up alone in bed. It took him a moment to remember what had happened, and that he had left Hermione sleeping on the sofa. He glanced at the clock, noting the time at 2:53 AM, and got up to bring Hermione to bed.
But she wasn't there.
The sofa was empty, the blanket still sprawled across it messily. He paused for a moment before checking the kitchen, and then the bathroom. She wasn't there. She wasn't in the house. He closed his eyes a moment and concentrated. He couldn't feel her magic. The residue was there from where she'd slept, but she wasn't. Her wand still lay on the table by the sofa where she'd left it.
In an instant, Severus threw himself out of the house and apparated.
-v-
"Harry, did you hear that?" Ginny shook him awake, already sat up in bed. "Listen," They both sat perfectly still. After a moment, they heard footsteps, and then they both jumped out of the bed.
"Potter!" Harry and Ginny flew down the stairs and came face to face with their seething former Potions Professor.
"What's happened?" Harry demanded. He was suddenly aware of the rest of the house, awake and standing behind him.
"Where is she?" Severus demanded.
"Where's who? Hermione? What's happened?"
"She's not here," Ron interjected. "She's not with you?"
"Obviously not," Severus ground out. He explained shortly what had happened, feeling the tension rise steadily in the room, and watching the panic increase on the faces in front of him. Potter and Ronald Weasley exchange glances, seeming to communicate mentally about the issue.
"Right," Ronald said matter of factly. "Where's Malfoy?"
"Malfoy?" Ginny asked. "We're looking for Hermione, Ron."
"Well, yeah, but he was the last one to threaten her outright, wasn't he?" Severus spun on his heel and was out the door in an instant. Potter and Weasley followed close behind.
"What are you doing?" Potter asked.
"Looking for my wife," Severus snapped. "Weasley's right. I need to speak with Lucius."
-v-
"Severus," The addressed man's fist came down and connected with Lucius' desk with such force, there was a sickening crunching noise. Lucius didn't react, instead he watched Severus evenly but with a slight air of concern.
"Where's my wife?" Severus demanded through gritted teeth. Lucius stood slowly, his expression one of deeper concern and wound his way around his desk.
"Granger is missing?"
"Yes, she's missing, you fuckwit!" Again, Lucius didn't react, seemingly used to his old friends stressed outbursts.
"Have a seat, Severus."
"What?"
"Sit." With a firm shove to the chest, Lucius pushed Severus down into the chair across from his desk.
"I don't have her," Severus barked a laugh of disbelief. "Honestly, Severus, I don't have her. She's pregnant, isn't she?" Severus stiffened visibly. He pressed his lips together in a thin, white line.
"She was." Lucius fixed him with a stare filled with sympathy and understanding, and Severus wanted nothing more than to shoot across the room and strangle the man where he stood.
"You're welcome to search the house," Lucius offered, pacing the perimeters of his office. Severus didn't need to. He concentrated, his teeth grit together so tightly that his jaw began to ache.
There was nothing.
There was no trace of her magic, even residual.
She hadn't been in Malfoy Manor in years.
He shot up from the chair and began pacing himself.
He didn't have time for this. She'd been missing for hours. She could be anywhere. She could be in fucking China for all he knew.
But he didn't know.
"Think, Severus. Others offered for her."
"You think it was one of them?" Severus asked. But it made sense. It was the only thing in the world that made sense to him then. And then-
"Lance McAllaistar," Severus growled. The man's face manifested itself in his mind; the way he eyed Hermione, the way he stood too close to her, the threat he'd sent by Owl after their engagement.
"I wanted her mine, Severus. Keep her close,
or she will be when you're not paying attention."
"The restaurant owner?" Lucius asked, skeptical. "The man can barely walk, Severus, how do you expect him to kidnap a grown woman?"
"He's not as frail as he seems."
Severus shoved Lucius' office door open with a BANG and the instant his toe was in the Apparition Foyer, he spun on the spot-
And landed in darkness.