Severus watched as the group left the great hall. He scanned the students one more time to make sure that one would be following them. Once he was sure that no one from the other houses were going to do anything; he pushed away from the head table. He could feel the Headmaster watching him. Their conversation at dinner had been cordial enough, the last thing Severus wanted or needed was the Headmaster sticking his nose into maters where it was no longer his concern.

"Going to make sure they get back safely to the common room?" The Headmaster asked.

"That I am Headmaster." Severus answered him.

"Have you told them the outcome yet?" He asked.

Why do you want that to be done? Thinking Hermione might feel bad for the wretch. "I will when the time is right. Emotions are still running very high with those two." Severus answered.

He could see the slight twinkle in the Headmaster's eye as he gazed over the half moon spectacles. "The sooner, the better Severus. Better to have it out in the open where they are concerned. Harry doesn't like to have things hidden from him. I made that mistake one to many times."

Like I told you all along. Now you think I am the fool, is that it? "And how do you think Miss Granger will handle it?" Severus asked the bated question.

He watched as the Headmaster leaned back in the chair before he answered. "Like she always does Severus. She won't be pleased at first, but she'll accept it. Once she does and finds out the real reason for it. Miss Granger will come around. It has always been hit and miss with them, but she has always liked Mr. Weasley. I saw the memories Severus."

I figured that was your plan. She may have liked him, but she does not love him now. Severus thought. "I shall inform them. If you will excuse me, Headmaster." Severus said and turned to leave before he was ordered to inform them. Severus knew the Headmaster well enough to know that if he didn't inform them others would.

Severus left the great hall out the door near the head table and took two of his shortcuts back to the dungeon hallways. Draco and Pansy had their heads pressed to a door.

"I can't hear anything." Pansy said.

"The door has been Imperturbed. Care to take a guess as to who did it?" Draco told her.

Pansy laughed. "That had to be Miss Granger."

Severus came up behind the two silently. "It would appear; she did a very good job of doing so." He said silkily.

Draco and Pansy jumped. Severus smirked at them. "How long have they been in there?"

"Not long." Draco said.

Severus moved across from the door and leaned up against the wall to wait. Draco and Pansy moved away from the door. "What type of mood were they in? When they went inside? I need to inform them of the decision the Headmaster made concerning Weasley."

He watched as his two prefects looked at each. They shared a small silent communication with each other. Pansy turned to him. Severus could see the look she had in her face, a very feral one at the moment.

"They were pretty playful when they went in. Both of them were in a good mood." Pansy said.

"I don't know Pansy. Miss Granger was up to something." Draco stated. "She dished up Potter to you too easily and then got him right back."

Well, it could be payback for what he did at the table. Severus thought. "I'll inform you now." Severus then told them what the Headmaster had directed for Ron's punishments of his actions. He left out the true nature of Ron's actions of being in love with Hermione.

With his arms crossed and leaning against the wall; he watched intently as the door opened. He was glad he was leaning on that wall. The force that was pulling him towards her was so strong. Severus forced his pulse rate back down by measuring his breathing to an even and slow pace.

"That is all he got?" Draco asked unbelievingly.

"What? Who got what?" Harry asked as he walked through the door.

Hermione looked into Severus's eyes. Intently, he examined her face, her eyes, as the emotional anger could be felt in the hall. The last thing he wanted for her was to plummet down again in that spiral that had happened at lunch. Comprehension in her eyes could clearly be seen; she knew. Severus was sure of this.

Draco and Pansy had ignored Harry's question. Severus looked at Harry. Harry's total body language changed as soon as he realized what had been discussed. He watched Harry's face become red with anger.

"You are talking about Ron." Harry stated. "What did Dumbledore give him?" He asked Severus.

Severus could tell, Harry was containing his anger rather well. His eyes slid back towards Hermione. With the hooded intense look, he measured her breathing, which matched his. Severus thought, I have to say it. Neither one of you will probably like it.

"Two weeks of detention, no more prefect badge, no letter of recommendation, and confined to the common rooms after dinner every night. He is still in school allowed to take his N.E.W.T.s."

Severus watched as her eyes clouded with anger. Her jaw tightened then she spun around, and headed back inside the classroom.

You are angry, much better, but I don't know what you do when you are angry. You need to stay with her, Severus. Severus thought. He looked at Harry, who had a snarl on his face. Harry growled out in frustration.

"Go back to the common room Mr. Potter." Severus said as he stood away from the wall putting all the authority he had behind his voice. "Go deal with your anger again. You got rid of it once, you can do so again."

Severus watched as Draco and Pansy took Harry along with them begrudgingly, but he had gone. Quickly, Severus crossed the hallway to the door of the room. She had been quick. Severus had to undo the charm work at the open door just to get inside the room. As soon as he stepped inside he understood why and started casting his own charms back on the door. The music was glaringly loud for one.

Merlin! Is she trying to make herself deaf? Severus thought. Severus found the source of it. It was a little white box with four speakers suspended in the middle of the room near the ceiling. He went to stop the noise till the words hit him that the male singer was singing. And his eyes roved over her as she stood in the middle of the room casting at different school desks. Her head was bobbing to the time and rhythm of the music. Hermione continued with what she was doing. She knew he had entered the room. Not in the mood to talk yet, Hermione thought.

'Pain, without love. Pain, can't get enough. Pain, I like it rough. 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all.'

Severus lowered his wand and thought. She needs the music. You can get use to the music, don't be an ass and take it away from her. Severus went to the teacher's desk that was in the room and sat down on it. She had transfigured two desks to different types of black and white St. Andrew's crosses. He noticed the leather cuffs and bindings to each one. Severus folded his arms across his chest. She wasn't exactly being destructive.

Those are some nice crosses little minx. They give me a few ideas. Severus thought.

His eyes went to the far corner where she stood, and he watched as the desk took on a new form now. The bottom formed in Grecian columns, then a basin appeared that looked like a large pearl clam shell. He watched as the trident emerged and the old world god of the sea sitting around crashing waves rested on top of the clam shell. She then conjured bluebell flames in certain portions of the statue and had water raining down into the fountain basin. Then the mirrors appeared behind the fountain, and Severus could see the back of it lit up.

The next song track on her Muggle MPMan F10, digital audio player, that came out earlier that year, she had converted to run off of magic started. It was another song off of the 'Three Days Grace' - One-X album, 'Animal, I have become'.

Severus felt moved by the words in that song.

'I can't escape this hell, so many times I've tried, but I'm still caged inside, somebody get me through this nightmare, I can't control myself.'

If felt like someone hit him in the stomach when he saw her eyes in the mirror as she finally glanced up in it. She had a very haunted look in her eyes. Like she was looking into the past and frightened by what she was seeing.

As much as Hermione tried not to let the song effect her, she couldn't. It had been too ingrained inside her. Her mind flooded with the memory in Bulgaria, for the three weeks she had spent visiting Victor Krum.

The Krum castle sat deep inside a beautiful mountainous rolling valley. It was majestic to behold, smaller than Hogwarts but no less still a picture of perfection. It was so peaceful and still, with luscious gardens and fountains. They had a few Bernini there and Hermione's heart soared upon seeing them. It reminded her of going to France with her parents.

Victor had been the gracious host for two days, everything was going great, until his Uncle Vladimir gave him some news about having to go to his mother, who had taken ill. Victor lived with his Uncle Vladimir, and Hermione was staying in the guest quarters. Vladimir assured Victor that he would watch after her.

She had been around him for two days already, and felt very comfortable with him. His speech was ever so much better than Victor's.

That first night after Victor had left, Vladimir had talked well into the early morning hours with her. She was awed by him. So much traveling he had done, the little stories he had told her. He never took his eyes off of her. If any of his servants came into the room, he would dismiss them immediately. Hermione couldn't help but feel special for him doing that, and any time he did she would blush deeply.

Over the next two days he lavished his attention upon her. Taking her to different places in Bulgaria. Showing her the sights. She was falling in love with the place. And over those two days she had grown to trust Vladimir, he had pulled her from several different little scrapes when her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Affectionately teasing her at what a naughty girl she was when she did that, and swatted her bottom playfully. Praising her at times at being a good girl.

It was on the third night when Vladimir was reclined on his settee reading one of his books to her. That Hermione really found him attractive and the first stirrings had begun. She had been curled beside him while he read to her. His deep voice lulling her. He stopped reading.

Hermione looked into his brown eyes. "Why did you stop?"

"I think you've had enough for tonight." He said softly. "You have been a very good girl today. Not at all naughty like you had been the last two days."

Hermione blushed and hid her face. She heard and felt his chuckle.

"Tell me Hermione, have you had fun with me these last few days?" Vladimir asked.

Hermione looked at him again. "Yes, Sir. Very much."

"That pleases me to hear that."

Hermione couldn't help but smile. Something inside her soared at hearing that. He smiled at her.

"You know, this den is very special to me. I normally don't allow visitors inside it. However, there was something about you, I couldn't say no too."

That made her feel very special indeed. She had noticed the servants didn't come into his den.

"Thank you."

"It has been my pleasure. I have some important things to do tomorrow. You may still come in my den with me like today, but you have to promise to obey everything I tell you to do without question. Can you do that?" Vladimir asked.

Hermione thought about it, there wasn't that much to do with Victor gone. The servants couldn't speak to her. They didn't understand her either. Vladimir had become her soul source of entertainment. She would become deathly bored and get into all sorts of things.

"Yes, Sir." Hermione agreed.

"Good girl."

By the end of that time, Vladimir had driven her crazy with lust for him. He had broken down her imbibitions and pushed her to the point she didn't want to leave him at all. She knew what it was like to become so enamored where you wanted nothing more than just to please someone. Because of how it made you feel and how it made them feel. And it scared her now, because Vladimir dropped her and wouldn't say anything to her anymore. A year of writing to him and not a word. She had learned the hard way, of not giving her trust over so quickly anymore. Not to be so readily agreeable. She had caged that submissive side of herself up because it frightened her now. It was the shadowy darkness inside her.

Severus watched as she gripped the fountain in front of her. He was sorely tempted to go looking inside her mind, but he held himself back. She was lost inside her mind right now. He got off the desk and walked over to her. He stood directly behind her. Her eyes were so unfocused on that mirror. Once that song was over, the chiming of deep church bells was heard next as another song started. Hermione's whole body shuttered and she gasped for air.

"Miss Granger, what happened?" Severus asked.

Hermione looked into his eyes in the mirror. She could see the alarmed distress in his deep eyes. I can't go through that again. It hurts too much. Hermione thought. Too close, you are too close. She could feel his body heat and that magnetism drawing her, pulling on that caged animal inside her.

"Not again." Hermione tore her gaze from the mirror and closed her eyes. Move, move, don't just stand here. It is no use. I can't even move.

"Not what again?" Severus asked as he stepped closer and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her. He couldn't stand it any longer. He saw that pain deep inside her while she looked into his eyes.

"Oh god, let me go." Hermione pleaded. "I can't do this again. You don't understand." Damn song. I forgot the damn song was on there.

Severus held onto her. He trapped her arms in one of his and held her firmly to him as she broke down again. These were not the depressed sobs she had as he held her before. She was deeply in pain. Hermione went limp in his arms.

Don't think about Vladimir, Hermione thought.

"Tell me. So I can understand." Severus said as his head was beside hers. "Just breathe and talk to me."

Hermione could feel his breath on her neck as his cheek touched hers. She started breathing, and willing that pain to go away, that pain of the loss she had buried deep inside of that connection with someone. She got it to slow down, as she felt his chest move into her back every time he took a breath.

I never told anyone about Vladimir. Not even Harry knows. From there I went straight to Grimauld place and could hide it away, like it never happened. I have to tell him something.

"I had a Dominant before." Hermione said as she chocked on a small sob as they slowed being in his arms.

What the hell did he do to her? Severus thought. Severus rubbed his cheek against hers. "Alright. But, you said. Not again. What did you mean by that?"

Hermione shook her head. "I am scared of getting hurt by another one." She opened her eyes and looked at his in the mirror. I don't want to get hurt by you.

Severus looked into those brown haunted eyes. He tossed you away and he hurt you deeply in the process of doing so. Fuck! No wonder you're so damn scared of what you feel. "You aren't scared that Harry will hurt you by being dominant with you?" Severus asked. Severus willed his body under control. He was not about to take advantage of her with that wound so raw like this.

He heard that bitter sweet laugh she gave. "There is nothing sexual going on between Harry and I. We tease each other. Nothing more than playful flirting between friends. We do not elicit anything that will draw out a sexual interaction between us where the lines are obscured. He wanted to know what it felt like being a Dom. So I let him have control of things for three weeks. Nothing sexual, he gave me some the weirdest things to do for him. If I didn't do them, he had to punish me. I refused to do several things. Then he took control when I got depressed."

"What were Harry's punishments?" Severus asked.

Probably not like what yours would be. Hermione thought as she kept trying to ignore the wanting desire inside her and the heat of being in his arms. "Stood me a corner, spanked my hands, wrote lines, things of that nature." Hermione told him.

I don't think those quite worked on you. You did it more out of your love for your friend. Severus thought. She is calm now, Severus. Get her back into Slytherin now. Severus gave her smile. "Really creative there. Time to set this room back in order and go back to Slytherin, Miss Granger."