Chapter 22

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(Past)

The cold wind hit them in all directions and yet the young man at her side didn't seem to feel it as he pulled her down the road. It was freezing and the heavens were going to unleash heavy rain any second.

But he continued down the road, away from any of the pubs or rest houses. She was used to taking them to Rina's pub to the rooms above the pub that were used for only one person. She would have spoken but she didn't want to anger him into leaving; that was not an option if she wanted a place to sleep tonight. Ella would really put her out in the cold if she didn't give her payment for the week.

The man beside her came to a halt and pulled her to the left, she frowned, there was nothing there but an old abandoned house that was said to be demolished soon. Dana grimaced a bit since she hated doing anything outside and especially on a cold night. But beggars or more like the women like her couldn't be choosers.

He continued drawing her towards the house and didn't stop until they were in the shambles of what had been a beautiful porch. The door to the house was long rotted away so there was only a gaping hole for the entrance. He didn't seem to even notice that as he let go of her arm and walked inside, leaving her staring after him in confusion. She pinched herself and followed after him. She paused when she saw him standing by a chair that had certain stains she would rather not touch.

He turned around and his face made her conscious of the fact that she was alone with a man that all of a sudden seemed threatening.

She shrugged away the feeling of dread and gave him her best smile. "You can sit and I'll do the rest."

He didn't blink as he casually sat on the stained chair. Next to him was a small lit candle that suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere. But he didn't so much as glance at it, his gaze on her unwavering. Dana took a deep breath and shrugged out of the murky cloak she had on. She didn't want him to stain it any more than it was; she folded it and set by the door were an old rocking chair sat. It only left her with a thin dress that was old and worn. Dana didn't think he cared as long as he got what he was paying for. She smiled and walked over to him. His gaze remained blank and a bit cold as he watched her, so unlike his face from before. He hadn't taken his cloak off so he probably expected her to take it off for him.

That wasn't a predicament for her. She had many customers who expected her to do all the work. Even undressing them. She reached for the top of the cloak and pushed it off his shoulders after she unbuttoned it. Yet, he didn't shrug out of it and watched her silently; waiting for something. Her eyes lowered and she almost let out a gasp of surprise. Hanging from his neck was a very expensive looking necklace.

It was a beautiful piece of jewelry. Even in the barely lit room, she could see that it had been carefully made. But she wasn't here to talk about jewelry so she glanced away and went down to her knees. Dana hoped that it would all end quickly so she could head to Ella's and sleep the rest of the night away.

She reached for the top of his trousers and quickly looked up. He just watched her making her uncomfortable by his unblinking gaze. He hadn't spoken a word and yet she knew his voice would send her running. Forcing another smile to show him that she was ready and eager to please, not that she had much choice in the matter. She pulled, to her surprise, aflaccid penis out. It didn't even twitch in her palm as she handled it with care.

Trying not to frown, she placed it in her mouth and began to work it with skills gained from years of servicing men. After a few minutes of unsuccessful results, she dropped back onto her heels and looked up. Only to stiffen at the calculating gaze that had probably watched her the whole time. Trepidation licked at her heels as she let go of him. He only gave her a smirk of feigned amusement before tucking himself back away. His fingers touching her saliva with no problem.

"All Muggles do this? I suppose wizards do as well. But, unlike those weak humans, I don't succumb to the mouth of a tramp." he snickered darkly. His voice so smooth and almost hypnotizing that it took a few seconds to understand what he had said. Wizards? She frowned, was he serious? Was he crazy? He must be since wizards weren't real. Was he making it up so that it distracted her from the fact that his equipment didn't work?

He narrowed his eyes at her, the gleam in them cutting. Almost like if he had heard her. Her instincts demanded her to run from this stranger even without asking for money. A low blow but she didn't have an option. She stood up as he moved to stand up. She took a nervous step back and gestured with her hands a little too wildly.

"I'll just go. You don't need to pay since nothing happened."

The gleam became shadowed as he stalked towards her. His steps were silent. No sound came from him. Her breathing became the only sound she could hear and her pulse became erratic as he stepped around her to stand at her back. A few seconds later a pointy object was stabbed into the small of her back and she froze when his lips brushed her ear.

"Scream."

"Crucio!"

She did scream. She screamed and screamed. The torture was nothing like she had ever experienced before. It seared her soul and made her beg and babble for what felt like hours. Her eyes were open but all she could see was spots of white and black and her mouth later began to fill with blood.

She was suffocating by her own blood! She couldn't scream anymore, she tried turning to her side but nothing would happen. Her body wasn't her own.

She forgot her name, who she was and after a few more minutes…

Ceased to exist.

"HERMIONE!"

"WAKE UP! COME BACK!"

"Damn it! Wake up!"

"Breath. Just breath."

She was Dana one second, coming back to the living but then she was pushed back for Hermione. She opened her eyes, forcing them up since all she wanted to do was close them. She squinted when Severus came into view. His eyes were wide with anger and fear. She could see the ceiling of the tent behind him as well as the sound of others in the tent. She groaned involuntarily when she tried using her muscles to sit up. But her body wouldn't listen to a signal command. The muscles jumping and cramping madly. Like if she had really been under the cruciatus curse. Severus leaned over for a second before coming back with a hand towel. He brushed her forehead with it, sending the scent of oils and herbs to her nose.

Merlin did it hurt. It all did. Even her scalp felt tender to the touch as he pushed her hair back. His gentle handling of her made her very aware of the suppressed rage he held in check. He pushed her down with a firm hand when her body jerked on its own. She grimaced as the muscles in her back cramped. He dabbed the towel around her neck; not once taking his eyes off her. She also realized that all of her shields weren't actually hers at all. They tasted of him. His magic emitted from them as they protected her mind but that also meant she was wide open to him.

Something that wasn't anything like the normal link they had together. No, this was too personal. He SAW her. Everything. The only reason he would be doing so was if she was unable to keep them up. She took a deep breath and tried to call them up.

A second later she almost screamed in agony. Eyes screwed tightly against the onslaught of crippling pain, she blindly reached out. She didn't realize that she had bitten her lip badly until she tasted her own blood. Severus snarled and forced her to listen to him. She opened her eyes as she panted. His eyes were bleeding black coals of anger. He was also bloody pissed but she wasn't in the right frame of mind to ease him from his anger.

"Don't attempt something so stupid again or I will be forced to put you out," he whispered across her mind harshly. His anger a whip that should have stung. Hermione didn't look away from him as she addressed the others.

"Please leave us. I'll speak with you all after I'm able to."

Halima cleared her throat. "I'll leave the phial and paste on the table for now. Breakfast will be ready soon."

A few milliseconds later the flap closed behind them, leaving them alone. Severus observed her for a few more seconds before leaving her side to retrieve the items Halima had left for her. Hermione turned her head and forced herself not to sit up. She lifted her arm, which they had bandaged up at one point in the night. Blood was already seeping through the bandage. She carefully unwrapped it all while Severus continued to watch her as he came to a halt beside her.

"It will take a bit longer for it to heal. We tried several different things to try and heal it but we quickly figured out that it wouldn't heal even with healing magic. We have to head back either way so the paste will do for now." Severus affirmed, his rage sounding tightly restrained behind every word.

She only nodded, her eyes on the cut. The wound was open and an ugly red-purplish color. The blood flowed from her torn flesh but was sealed back up and cleaned as Severus smeared the thick brown paste on it. Regardless of how he felt, he didn't hurt her. He drew out another bandage and began to wrap it once more. It didn't hurt since the paste was already numbing the gash so she waited impassively for him to finish. He moved back when he was done and handed her both of her wands. She set them on the bed and reached for the phial; except he didn't hand it to her. He used his other arm to slid it under her and in a move so unlike him, cradled her to his chest.

The pain that radiated from her body became muted as her attention turned to the male holding her. His mouth was right above her, his breath cooling the top of her head as he tipped the opening of the phial to her lips. She didn't question him about it and sipped it. It burned her throat but she forced it down. Within seconds it began to work. Allowing her to move back from him on her own. Not that she wanted to but she knew she was going to have to face his wrath soon. The anger inside him burned too hot for him to just let it slide this time. It wasn't like before. This tasted too...

She swung her legs off the bed in her first attempt to stand on her own. The bottoms of the loose pants she wore covered her bare feet, shielding her from the damp floor. She remembered wearing them before she had gone under. The top wasn't one she had been wearing. She would have staggered a second later but held herself stiffly in order not to faceplant. Severus walked around her, his steps were silent.

But behind that silence was what she had to address. She leaned over and grabbed her robe and slid it on; she was very aware of the fact that she was braless and that shirt she wore didn't hide it.

"Severus."

All she said was his name but it might as well have been an insult since he slowly turned to look at her. His eyes turned molten with much deeper sentiment.

"Do you think that for once, just once, you would think of your actions. Of what the consequences will be!" he hissed, his stance ridged with emotion.

Hermione's eyebrows went up in disbelief. Consequences? What on earth? Her confusion only seemed to trigger him as he turned to face her fully. "What exactly are you mad about? You know the things that I have done and will end up doing have to be done. Regardless of the consequences. We get results. Isn't that why we are here in the first place?"

He snapped.

That was all she could describe it as. He threw back his head and roared in anger. Hermione staggered back onto the bed in complete astonishment.

He literally roared.

Like an animal in pain. As well as anger. He charged at her and a second later was hovering above her. His eyes wild and features lined with anguish and fury. His emotions almost choking her. But she wasn't afraid of him.

She would never be afraid of him.

Ever.

Her hands cupped his face as she searched it and their bond. "Severus, talk to me. Tell me what has you so strung." He closed his eyes and seemed to try and control his emotions. His arms caged her but she could see the strain on them as well as his body. He spoke without opening his eyes.

"That's exactly what I want from you. Talk to me. Tell me everything you are planning. You said it yourself at the beginning. That you wouldn't ask anything from us that you wouldn't do yourself. I get that I really do. But now it's different. Now you have me and yet...It doesn't feel that way. So far, the only one to bleed for this cause is you. I might be here but I might as well not be."

Hermione flinched. The pain behind his words hitting her hard. She hadn't meant to do it all by herself but his words rang true. She was doing it all alone. Regardless if she was doing it herself or if it was just the way things turned out. But he was also right about them as a couple. She was so used to doing it all by herself even though the others helped. But nobody knew exactly what she was planning.

She rubbed his lip with her thumb and used her legs to flip them over so that she was on top. Something he was clearly not expecting. His hands automatically settled on her hips as she straddled him. She was very aware of her position as well as the twinge that warned her not to do it again. She wasn't healed enough to be attempting such maneuvers. She leaned down and tried to smile. "I know. I'm sorry. I was so concentrated on getting everything done by myself that I pushed aside the need to talk to you. I just thought that you wouldn't mind it but now that I do know and I will try to open up to you more. I promise."

Severus raised his head and met her lips with his own. She tasted his anger and fear as well as his desire. She broke away after a few seconds and leaned her forehead against his. She could feel his desire physically as well. It was currently tucked between her legs, sending hot flashes through her body. Resisting the urge to grind down on him, she scooted forward and pecked him once more before sliding off his body. His muffled groan reached her ears and she hid a smile. She wasn't the only one suffering. She tested her legs to see if the tremors were gone and continued towards the table that still held the locket and ring. Severus took a few more minutes before coming to stand at her side.

"I don't feel anything from the locket anymore. I actually threw it across the room when you began to scream. It seems like you only need to touch it once for the connection to establish. It wasn't until a couple of seconds later that something dark came out of it and sank inside of you. I wasn't sure what to do but after hours of waiting it came back it out with a scream and it gave a flash of light. It wasn't until later that I realized that I had actually touched the locket with no problem. It feels like a regular locket. Nothing clings to it." Severus said, his hand picking up the locket. He passed it to her, his fingers lingering after.

The locket felt cool to the touch but just like he had said, it didn't feel dangerous anymore, it even fell open to show the inside of it. It was now an empty and harmless necklace. She put it back on the table and gestured to it. Severus only raised an eyebrow. His mood completely forgotten and her Severus was back. She huffed and gestured once more. "I can't use magic right now. I don't think I want to push myself just yet to actually draw magic. Shrink it so that I can hide it until we get back."

Severus sent her a bit of a smirk and flicked his hand at it. Once that was done she turned to the ring. "I was really sure that the box containing the ring had some nasty spells attached to it. Guarding it actually. But my blood had already touched it before we got here. I think my blood before could only fight weak magic. I'm guessing since Riddle was gone for so long they weakened. I'm pretty sure that the Sphinx didn't tell us everything. I was shocked that she didn't give us riddles to figure out so I'm a bit suspicious. I suppose I'll know as we go forth from here."

He only nodded but watched her hand hover over the ring. He looked up at her but she didn't have to read his mind in order to guess what he was thinking. Yes, they had to leave once more and go back another week. But where to go. That thought hadn't even left her mind when his deep voice filled her head. Almost distracting her from what he said.

"We can go to one of my residences. Nobody ever goes to them. They are always empty."

Hermione hesitated before she drew her hand away from the ring. She walked around the table and stood about a foot away from him. "A residence of yours? Are you sure it will be empty? No random Death Eaters coming to visit?"

"The one I'm thinking of hasn't been lived in for twenty years. Nobody knows about it. Only one person knows about it actually but I'm not worried about that person showing up randomly. I don't know if it's still standing but we do need another week for you to recover."

That was true. She couldn't even shield herself so she needed to heal in order to be able to deal with the ring. She had a feeling it would be even more difficult to destroy. "Alright, will leave tonight and be there by morning. We'll rest for the day and pack."

She didn't ask who that person was.

There would be time for it later.

….

(Herefordshire, England 1995)

Leaving Egypt had been a bit hard.

Especially for Halima, who had wanted Hermione to stay longer but the rules of the time-turner would have made that impossible even if she had wanted to. So, Halima had made them take many herbs and a promise to call on them if they needed them once more. Hermione had waited until the last possible moment to catch a glimpse of the Sphinx but in the end, all she got was a feeling like she was being watched.

They had gone back another week, making that three weeks in total of going back in time. Hermione had collapsed right after turning the time-turner. Severus had to apparate with her unconscious, something nobody but a strong individual could have ever done and gotten them close to Colwall Village.

It was near Worcestershire, basically sitting borderline to it and on the Malvern Hills that lay there. It was a large but scattered village. Not quite modern in comparison to London but also not isolated like other villages. Severus had left her resting on the bench in the garden as he took their stuff inside the large house that was half tucked into the side of a hill, making it blend in with the green of the trees behind it.

It was beautiful.

And quiet.

But even she could tell that the house wouldn't last much longer if nobody took care of it. She breathed in the cool morning air, the sun barely coming up from behind the trees. It was a bit cold so she shivered as the wind picked up and ruffled her hair. She glanced around but all she saw was more trees and the dirt driveway that led down to the paved road. They were close enough to the center of the village but far enough that they couldn't hear the main sounds coming from the road. The door to the house opened and Severus stood there, his cloak off, leaving him a crisp black buttoned-up shirt with his usual trousers. He had tied his hair back and now gestured to her.

"Do you need my help?" he asked, his voice slipping across her mind. She shook her head and watched him disappear back inside. She stood and carefully wrapped the time-turner around her waist after taking it off her neck. The chain warm against her skin. She covered it with her jumper and marched up to the house. Her body opposed the movement but it wasn't too serious so she ignored it.

Too many things had happened to her over the course of the month so her body was letting her know that no amount of potions would speed up the recovery period. She moved a lot slower than she was used to, her body feeling ten years older.

She hadn't realized that Severus had come back to the door until his arm snaked around her waist and he lifted her up with ease. She looked up at her with a small smile. "If I didn't know better, I would think you would be feeling a tad protective, Severus."

He kept his face impassive but did say. "I'm worse than that. Remember that."

Forgetting wasn't on the table for her so instead she turned her head and was stunned to see that in the center of the room was a Wild Cherry tree. It was small and the petals pure white. It was so unexpected but somehow it fit. Right above it was a large opening where the sun's light came in through.

But a tree in September?

Severus walked around it and towards an open doorway that turned out to be a sitting room. It only had two armchairs and an empty fireplace. It smelled dusty but otherwise intact. He sat her down on the better-looking armchair and handed her the bag of bread and cheese that Halima had packed them.

"Eat that while I clean the room and kitchen. I'll go set the wards after."

He left before she could say anything and she let him. She was hungry but she didn't want to eat without him. She really hated feeling weak though so she nibbled on the bread.

...

A few hours later they were both in the large kitchen that had been on the right side of the house, across the sitting room. When they had passed the tree earlier, she had finally asked about it.

He first sat her down and pulled out the bread and cheese slices before he turning his attention to her. "Her name was Eileen Prince. She once lived here long ago as a child. She kept the house. She hasn't stepped foot in here in a long time. But she always asks about the tree."

Hermione had gone still the moment he had said the name. A woman? But not just any woman. She watched him silently and waited for him to continue. He did but only after taking a bite of bread. He looked up at her and the open vulnerability of them shocked her. She had never seen that look in him. He sent her a smile full of countless stories and pulled out a picture frame that had a few layers of dust on it. He handed it to her after vanishing the dust with his hand.

She looked down at it, the wood frame chipped and the glass a bit damaged but what really got her attention was the young woman in the picture. It was a muggle picture so it wasn't moving. The woman had dark hair almost inky black and wide eyes that also appeared to be dark in color. Her hair was down and straight, ending just under her elbows. Behind her was an imposing man, his face set permanently in a frown but it was his hooked nose that made her glance up in surprise.

"Ah, yes. The nose. One of the many things that bastard gave me. That man is Tobias Snape, my father. Beside him is my mother, Eileen Snape."

"I'm guessing they are still alive?" she asked him, her eyes noticing the slight tightening around his mouth. He nodded and turned away from her as he turned to the sink behind him. She set the picture down and stood silently. She walked up behind him and laid her head against his back. She slid one arm around his trim waist and waited for him to speak.

"Last I checked, yes, they were still alive. I haven't seen them in person in almost twenty years. I haven't spoken to them in almost ten years. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they have killed each other off."

His flat tone gave her a very clear picture of what he had left out but she didn't push. No, she wouldn't push him for something that obviously made him angry. But she was glad he let her in. He actually told her something that those around him didn't know. She kissed his back and went back to her chair. She wasn't even halfway there when his own arms slid around her frame. His breath tickling the side of her throat as he leaned down.

"I will tell you more another time. I need to set up a temporary lab in the basement. I need to make potions. I might stay up so just head down to the room down the hall and to the left. I left the door open with your things on the bed."

She nodded and watched him leave the kitchen. She put away the cheese and bread or at least what was left of it, took a quick drink from the mug of water and went down the hall. The hall was dark but she easily found the room. The room was a lot cleaner than she had expected it to be. The room had a small fireplace that was big enough for two or three logs but not much else. The room was unadorned, only having the bed and a nightstand that had seen better days. The large windows on the far right were open, the window pushed out like the windows from the village houses.

The bed had her bag as well as Severus's travel bag. Deciding to go with it, she opened his and pulled out one of his sleeping shirts. A plain black nightshirt. Long enough to cover up everything important. But leaving her legs bare. An impulsive move but one she wouldn't regret anytime soon. She promptly changed into it and put away both of their clothes.

For the rest of the afternoon, she cleaned the bathroom and opened most of the windows in the house for an hour or two before closing them shut. She went outside briefly to pick up a bit of wood and making a fire.

The fire would last quite a while so let it be. She had begun to feel tired so she headed back to the room.

It wasn't long until Severus came back up. She was resting on the bed with a book in her lap when he came into the room. He paused when he noticed what she had on. He wisely chose not to say anything about it as he walked over to his bag that still held his other stuff. "I'll go to the pub that should still be there and order some food and other things we'll need. We can go later when you're stronger. Do you want anything in particular?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I should be fine. Just bring a bit of food that will last us till Wednesday. I should be a bit better by than."

He left soon after, his steps quiet. She left the room and headed to the kitchen with her bag. She set out a piece of parchment paper and her feathered quill. She began to write a letter to her parents. She left out almost everything. She only wrote what they needed to know. Her parents didn't' need to worry more than they already did. She also wrote to Dimitry. She wanted to know if he had found Adalene's parents. Lastly, she wrote to Percy. He needed to slip in another letter but this time she would need him to be very careful. They would be watching for anybody but this time it was something small, so small nobody would notice at first.

They just needed a bit of spotlight without being splashed on the front cover. After putting it all away she left the kitchen and went back into her room. She had checked the other rooms earlier and had noticed that he hadn't cleaned any of them. That left one bed to sleep in. Unless they took out the tent she had packed. She fixed the bed and laid down as the sun finally disappeared. The noises around the house were peaceful, leaving her with a sense of contentment as her tired body gave in to sleep.

She didn't dream of anything.

The chill in the room woke her up a few hours later, she was still on one side of the bed. She hadn't moved an inch and the other side of the bed was untouched. But she did have a blanket draped on her lower half. A blanket she had never seen before. It was a soft grey color and very soft. But it wasn't thick enough to ward off the chill of the room.

She got off the bed and checked the time from the wristwatch on the night table. It was barely six in the morning. She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders as she slid her feet into her slippers.

She wasn't happy that he had stayed away from the bed but she knew him a bit better kniw and knew he wouldn't have come unless she asked him to. She slipped down to the basement when she didn't find him anywhere else though she did take notice of the bags in the kitchen on the way down. If she had thought that upstairs was cold the basement was freezing. Her bones protested the chill so she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

His back was the first thing she saw. He was slumped over the table and resting his head on his arms. He seemed to be taking a nap but he looked so uncomfortable. A few candles were lit and bathed his face in a soft glow that should have made him look soft but his face was anything but. Her arms circled his waist gently, only to have him tense for a couple of seconds. He relaxed a bit when she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you come to bed?"

"I wasn't sure if it was right to lay beside you. Sharing the same room is one thing but the same bed? I wasn't sure how you would feel about that regardless of the fact that I'm shielding you. I want to hear you say it instead of me just assuming." he said, his voice rough and doing things to her body. She shivered but not because of the cold this time. No, this was something more primal and hot. He seemed to notice the change in her and carefully turned around so that he was facing her.

Lifting a hand, he set it on the small of her back and pulled her forward so that she was tucked between his legs.

"I wouldn't have minded, Severus. I expected to wake in your arms."

Eyes that shown black became heated and molten. His lips formed a sly grin as he leaned forward. "You should have told me this. Just because I'm shielding you doesn't mean I would dare intrude. But since you have said so…" He didn't give her a warning or let her speak as he suddenly engulfed her in his embrace. The next second everything went up in black smoke that touched every part of her body and made her feel like as if they were flying in an intimate dance.

A few seconds later she found herself on her back, the bed beneath her, and Severus leaning over her. On instinctive reaction, she opened her legs and let him settle in between them. She raised an eyebrow in question. "Are we going to sleep or…" she asked him as she boldly ran her foot up and down his calf.

He gave a brief but husky laugh. "I can think of one or two things we could do…"

...o0o0o0o...

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Enjoy!

Vanee