Snape came to the apartment and the two women stood at his entrance. He had some clothing in his arms as he evaluated them. "You could have told Madam Pomfrey that I was abusing you. A few well placed bruises and it would have meant my death. Why didn't you?"

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other in amazement. Hermione spoke for both of them. "You'll forgive me Master (bate), but that is a stupid question. We are well aware of how the others are being treated and have no desire to join them. Your death would not be in our best interest."

Snape's lips turned up slightly at the corners. "As I said Hermione, you are an intelligent woman." He came further into the room and laid a box on the table, then gave them each a bundle of grey cloth. "These are for you, and there are slippers and underthings in the box. You may dress now if you wish. Oh, and this is for you Hermione. The herbs I mentioned for your bath." He handed her a small pouch. She could smell the lavender and chamomile along with other less pungent herbs.

Ginny held up the garment against herself. The fit was not in question, but it was the ugliest dress she had ever seen. Heavy cotton in shades of grey and tan. It went from the floor to her neck with an empire waist and long full sleeves. There was also a wrap for her shoulders. She would stay warm, and as long as she didn't have to look at herself it would work. The box had grey slippers to match, socks, nightgown and some simple cotton underwear. Ginny took hers with her to the loo for her shower.

Hermione tried to go to her room, but Snape stood in front of her. "I'd like to speak to you alone while Ginevra is in the shower."

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "What is it you want?"

Snape motioned to the chairs as he poured them both another cup of tea. "Ginny will follow where you lead. I want you to understand there is no escape for either of you. I'm not blind, I can see your mind going a mile a minute, plotting. Even if you managed to get out of the castle the Dark Lord would hunt you down and kill you in a most disagreeable manner, as an example to the others. Not to mention what he would do to me."

Hermione looked into her cup. "A prisoners first duty is escape." The scowl on his face was almost funny. "You needn't try to frighten me with that all too familiar glare. I've seen much worse. I know very well there is little you will really do to me now. You see, the only advantage of being someone's property, is knowing you are of value to them." His scowl deepened to near fury, and she needed to back down. She was testing his limits. "But rest assured, I'm no fool. There is little point in trying to run away, when I know of no place to run to, and no means of support if we get there." Except Grimmauld Place, if it still exists, though she didn't say so.

Hermione finished her cup and looked him coldly in the eye. "But you are a different matter altogether. You may have guessed that I see, and hear, everything said and… not said around me, and you my dear Master, are not what you seem. Beyond those doors you are a loyal Death Eater, Second in command to snake face himself. When you are in here you call him a bastard and disagree with his policies most strongly. When I compare you to those animals in the hall, well, let's just say you stick out like a brand new shekel." Check

Snape seemed to go even paler than he was. It was not fear in his eyes, but oddly enough, pride. "Yes, a brave and intelligent woman. Too intelligent for your own good. Potter and Weasley wouldn't have lasted ten minutes without your guidance, let alone the months you spent on the run." He grinned as he looked at her suddenly pained face. "It matters little, who I am in your estimation. Know only this. There is no escape for you. The world is as it is, and you will be only a small cog in that wheel. If you squeak too much at me, you will be silenced. Do we understand each other?" Check mate

Hermione only nodded.

"ANSWER ME SLAVE!"

She jumped in her seat. "Yes Master." But her eyes held a fire that will never be extinguished as long as she lives. He was glad.

Snape considered her slowly. Perhaps he had use for such bravery and intelligence. Ginny came out of the shower and Hermione stood to go in. She waited for permission, and he waved his hand to grant it.

oopOqoo

The next two weeks saw the beginning of a comfortable routine. Snape would leave the office every morning to attend on Voldemort and work on his potions most of the day. Hermione spent her days blissfully eating and reading while Ginny had begun a new hobby. Embroidering her plain dress. Ginny had been taught how by her mother, and the memories made her feel closer to Molly. She managed to get some silver thread and started a starburst pattern around the bottom of the full skirt as she wore it.

Snape sometimes watched them at night when he relaxed in his chair with a glass of firewhiskey as they both indulged in their diversions. He would wonder what the future would have been for Harry and Ginevra. Harry. He had pledged to protect the boy, but when he insisted on fulfilling prophesy and faced Voldemort, there was nothing Snape could do. Foolish boy. It saddened him terribly to lose the last remnant of Lily on this earth. Another of his dreams dead and gone. Would their children have had Ginevra's red hair and Lily's green eyes? It pierced his heart to think her image might have return to him as a first year.

Hermione was contented with a book in her lap as usual. Snaped chuckled to see that she had gone through a good portion of the books in his rooms and was cataloging the ones in the office. Such a brilliant mind. Snape never could figure out just what on earth she saw in Ronald Weasley. They had nothing in common. The boy had no brains at all, hated books, had all the subtlety of the knight bus, and only got excited when a quidditch game was in the offer. The poor girl must really have been lonely to want a piece of that. Well, she'd had the good sense not to be intimate with him. Brightest witch of her age as Minerva would say often enough. Madam Pomfrey had declared Hermione able to conceive again that afternoon, and she would be required to report to him the next morning. He was looking forward to it.

Minerva. How would she react to the fact that he'd had them both. That he will continue to take them as long as the Dark Lord demands it. She would have killed him slowly and make him say thank you for the privilege. The shame of it all slowly crept back into his mind. Merlin help him, so soft and pliant in his arms, he wanted them. Old enough to be their father, ugly enough to curdle milk, he didn't deserve them. As Headmaster he was charged with their safety. Would Minerva agree that this is the only way to keep them safe now? Or was he blinded by his desire for them? He knew he must find a way to save them from this terrible fate, but not just the two in front of him. The others are suffering badly at the hands of the Death Eaters as well. Even if there was a way, he can't do it alone.

oopOqoo

In the evenings he would come back, and they would all have dinner together. Hermione would question him about his work, and they often had long discussions about brewing and ingredients. He was brilliant and she found herself looking forward to his nightly return. Sometimes she would ask him about what she had read that day. His knowledge of his craft was nearly encyclopedic, and Hermione was fascinated. She considered it a major coo when he agreed to a game of chess one night. It soon became part of their routine. She lost miserably, but the insights it granted into his psyche were invaluable. He even smiled at her on occasion.

Ginny would wait patiently for them to finish their game, and then they would both leave Hermione for his room. An hour later she would creep back into their room quietly so as not to wake Hermione. What she didn't know was Hermione never slept until she was sure Ginny was back safe. Ginny never discussed what happened in his room, at least it didn't seem to upset Ginny anymore.

Snape was confounded as to why Ginny wasn't pregnant yet. He had strengthened the fertility potion twice. Snape discussed the lack of conceptions with Madam Pomfrey who told him that none of the girls were pregnant. This was very bad for all concerned. Voldemort would either punish Snape for his useless potion or give up on the current batch of women and get more. In which case the current students would either be thrown to the wolves with no restrictions or slaughtered in his anger. It was only a matter of time.