Author Notes: (The notes are vital for the first chapter! Please read all of them!)

Story: Healing Sorrows

Chapter: Night of Destruction

Rating: R

Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst

Couple: Severus Snape and Hermione Granger

Setting: Hermione is in her 7th year and 18. Snape is 38 and has been teaching for 18 years.

Summary: Hermione was stripped of everything she once held dear in one night. She soon begins to close herself away, but is blocked by a professor. Professor Snape. Can he heal the troubled girl? Can she heal him as she learns of the scars of his past? Can they heal each other without falling in love?

WARNINGS: This story deals with rape and other adult situations. If you feel that you can not handle that, then please do not read this story. Thank you.

Disclaimer (applies to the entire story): I do not own Harry Potter. That honor is left to whoever has the most money. Which, quite obviously, isn't me. *sniffles* I don't even own the clothes on me. . .My parents do. . .

Feel free to e-mail me at if you have any comments, suggestions, etc. Constructive criticism is always appreciated^_^

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"No!"

"No!"

"Please. . ."

"Don't. . ."

"NO!"

The young girl sobbed as another's hands pressed over her body; taking what they so desired. She cried in pain. Her anguished yells echoed through the corridor. But the one on top of her did not relent. He let out a malicious growl.

The girl cried out in pain as he shoved himself deeper into her. Her nails dug into his arms as she tried to get him off of her. Blood slowly trickled down his arms.

A hand slapped her hard against the face. A bright red mark showed on her cheek as the other side of her face hit the hard, cold concrete. She cried out again before the same hand was pressed hard on her mouth. Her face alive with terror, glared at him.

Her attacker leaned close into her face, barely an inch away. His eyes bore deceptively into her pained ones.

"Don't. .speak. . ." His voice was quiet and poisonous. "Wouldn't want anyone to hear, now would we?" A sadistic grin formed on his face before his lips pressed hard onto her bruised ones.

She let out a choking sound before laying still.

"Perfect," He murmured before standing. He cast his eyes on the budding woman whom he had just destroyed. She was getting too cocky for his tastes, so he had done something about it. His gaze continued to ravage the body of the unconscious girl.

"That will teach her," He muttered before stalking off, leaving her in the corridor, alone, nude, and destroyed.

F F F

Hermione winced as she tried to move. Her body felt like it was in so much pain. It ached and felt sore everywhere. Her eyes shot open. She remembered. . .just an hour before. . .he had. .taken her. Taken her innocence, her youth, he had stolen her most precious treasure.

She grimaced as she began to sit up. So much of her hurt - not just her body. She tried to raise her left arm, but failed. It just lay at her side. Broken. She tried to raise her right arm. She succeeded.

She raised her arm to touch her face. It hurt. It felt like her entire face was bruised. She ran her fingers over her lips; they were swollen. A tear ran down her puffy cheek.

"No. . .This couldn't have happened!" She placed her face in her hands. The tears rolled down her face in quiet, successive motions. "No!" Her choked sob ended as she shivered.

She looked down her herself and gasped. She was nude. The bloody bastard had left alone in a dark corridor after taking everything that meant anything to her.

She looked around and spotted her clothes. Moving as quickly as she could, which wasn't too fast, she got her house robes and put them on. Still shivering, but not from cold, she made her way to her dormitory.

F F F

Once in her dormitory, Hermione looked at her clock. It was 2:00 am. Perfect. Some amount of sleep she was going to get. She laughed sardonically to her herself; as if she was even going to be able to sleep.

With a pain filled sigh, Hermione climbed into her four poster bed still clothed in her robes and fell into the bed. Closing her eyes, it took her several long moments before she fell into a fitful sleep.

F F F

"Hermione! Hermione! Wake up!" Urgent voices called out.

Hermione slowly began to open her heavy lidded eyes. "Wha-?" Her bloodshot eyes widened.

"Hermione!" Lavender Brown exclaimed. "What happened?" She stared aghast beside the other two girls whom roomed with Hermione. The three stared at the girl who had been yelling and crying out in her sleep throughout the night. When they had pushed aside the curtains of her bed, what they saw came as a large shock. What they had seen was a girl covered in bruises and cuts with a small amount of blood on her pillow while her hair was caked with it and dirt.

"Are you okay?" Parvati Patil asked in a small voice.

"Y-Yes. . .I'm fine. .I-I fell. ." said Hermione as she sat up in her bed as if to prove she was okay.

"Fell?" questioned Lavender incredulously. "How could all that have happened if you fell?"

"I fell. .down the stairs. . ." She saw their disbelieving faces. ". .While I was carrying my books."

"Oh."

"Are you sure you are okay?" A soft voice questioned. Hermione looked at the owner of the voice. Akasa Latane stood beside the other two girls. Her thin black hair fell to her mid-back with raven strands falling above her amethyst eyes.

"Yes, Akasa, I'm fine. Now if you guys don't mind, I would like to get ready for class." The girls glanced at the clock and rushed to get ready. Only Akasa waited an extra moment to eye Hermione carefully before she also left to get ready.

Hermione sighed and got ready for a long day.

F F F

Hermione looked at herself in front of the full length mirror in the dormitory. Everyone else had left for classes, but she stayed behind and was alone. She shivered and continued to look at her reflection. She had showered and changed into a fresh set of robes. Her hair was clean. Her clothes were clean. But she didn't feel clean. She looked at her image in the mirror and her despair deepened.

Leaning her forehead lightly against the mirror, she spoke aloud: "Why me?" She whispered.

"Why did I have to be out that late? I shouldn't have lost track of time. . .From now on. . .I will always be back in the common room before late and," She paused, staring at her image. "And I will always carry around my wand. And always be prepared!" She banged her head lightly against the glass before sliding to her knees.

"I shouldn't have made such a mistake. . ." Her soft voice trailed only to her ears. "I shouldn't have trusted him. .let him get so close. . .I should have known!" She cried out, the desperation clear. "With all the threats he had been dropping. . .But I had thought. . .thought that he was just like Malfoy - all talk. But no! He had to. .he had to. . ." She couldn't complete her sentence. "I hate myself. . .such a fool. . ."

She leaned her body against the mirror. She winced. "I need. .to see Madam Pomfrey. . ." She struggled to get up while holding her left arm.

F F F

"Oh dear child!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed upon seeing Hermione's beaten face. "What happened?"

Hermione gave her a tired look as she looked around the Hospital Ward. Professor Snape came in holding a crate. Snape? What is he doing there? Hermione wondered silently.

"Oh, Severus, you can put that right over here." Madam Pomfrey led him to a table and he set the crate on it. "Thank you for making them so quickly."

Snape ignored the thank you. "How soon will you be needing more, Poppy?"

"Oh. ." She paused for a moment. "Probably in two months."

He nodded before walking to the door. He stood at the threshold for a moment before turning around and looking at Hermione. His expression was unreadable as he took in her appearance. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly before calling Madam Pomfrey over to him.

"Severus? What is it?"

"What happened to Miss Granger?" He asked her quietly enough so Hermione didn't hear.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like she was attacked. I don't think she could have done that herself. . ." She answered, her voice equally as quiet.

"I see," He said before leaving. As soon as he had left, Madam Pomfrey hurried over to Hermione's bedside.

"Now, what happened?" She asked in a straight forward manner as she gently took Hermione's left arm.

"I. ." Her expression was grim as she looked beyond Madam Pomfrey. "I fell down the stairs." She lied.

"I see," She said mimicking Snape's quiet tone. "Well, that fall is going to cost you. You will need to stay here until tomorrow. These injuries will take at least until then to heal." Madam Pomfrey hurried away for a few seconds but promptly returned holding several tools. "Now, have you been hurt in any other places - other than the obvious?"

Hermione looked sadly at the bed sheets she sat on. "A few. . ."

"I see. . ." The mediwitch's tone was quiet once again and prepared herself for a long day's work.

F F F

"She said she fell down the stairs, but I don't believe it." Madam Pomfrey sipped her tea in the staff room. "She looks like someone attacked her."

"Yes, she does." Severus Snape sat in a straight backed chair. "Did she say anything else to you?"

"When I was getting ready to leave, I went over to her and checked on her one more time. I asked if she was all right; she said she was okay. I turned to leave and she grabbed my sleeve and wouldn't let go." Madam Pomfrey paused, recalling the memory. "Then, she looked at me with such a fierce fright in her eyes that I shuddered. And asked me in this desperate voice not to leave her alone. It seemed that she was so afraid of something that she couldn't stand to be alone." Madam Pomfrey stirred her tea again. "So I stayed with her until she fell asleep. Hermione Granger. . .I've never known her to be so frightened. Something horrible must have happened to her."

Severus nodded. "So, she doesn't know you left?"

"No. I left after I was sure she was asleep. I would have given her a Dreamless Sleep Draught but I didn't remember to when I had the chance."

"Something horrible indeed. . ." Severus murmured. Something flashed through his mind. He stood up abruptly. "Poppy, I need to do something." Without another word he walked out of the room.

Once outside he went to the Hospital Ward as quickly as he could without running. He stood outside the doors for a moment before walking in quietly. The room was quiet. He saw Hermione sleeping in a seemingly eased sleep. He made his way noiselessly to her bed. He sat on the stool beside her bed.

He sat there for several minutes. His eyes took in the sleeping girl. Her rigid form lay straight with her left arm cast over stomach with her right arm covering it, seemingly protecting it. Severus looked at her with a look of worry hidden in the depths of his eyes.

Hermione moved.

Her rigid form moved in spastic moves that seemed to be made in efforts of protecting herself. She cried out in pain. Her cries sounded anguished. Severus leapt from the stool. Her arms flailed. One of them hit Severus.

Her eyes shot open. Snape looked at her aghast. Her terror filled eyes looked at him stunned. Snape took her hand in an effort to calm Hermione down and reseated himself on the stool. The stunned look began to fade from her eyes, but the terror remained.

"P-Professor?" She whispered. When he nodded, she cast herself against his chest, sobbing. "No! Please don't let him come back! Don't let him take me! Please. . ." Her sobs began to weaken as the minutes passed. "Don't let him take me," She whispered, her eyes closing. "Please. . .not again. . ." And she slept.

Snape cradled the girl against his chest until he was sure she was asleep. Then, he laid her back down on the hospital bed. He covered her with the bed sheets before sitting back on the stool. He looked at Hermione. Then he looked at his hand with hers still clasped around it. He sighed. This was going to be a long night.

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AN:

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the first installment of this story. Be prepared to see more soon! I have some great ideas for this story. Please review! (It is very much appreciated. . .) Also, feel free to give suggestions and what not. You can either email me or post it in your review.

Thanks for reading!