Hermione clambered wildly down the steps to the foyer, making her way towards the crumpled body of Professor Snape. Kneeling next to him, she began stroking his face and whispering nonsense to him as his body writhed. He looked up at her desperately, his pain too intense for him to mask it. One of his ribs was probably puncturing a hole in his lung, by the way he was breathing. Hardly knowing what she was doing, Hermione placed her hands on his torso and felt energy leaving through her hands. Immediately Snape's muscles started to relax, and soon he was staring up at her, bewildered. Then his eyes drifted behind her, and Hermione felt someone else's eyes moving over her back.
"Well, well. I hang around for a few more minutes to watch the fun and look who shows up!" Hermione turned to meet the cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy. She hadn't actually seen him leave. She mentally slapped herself. "Actually staying with your professors now, eh? Doing a little extra credit?" Malfoy's voice dripped with innuendo. He looked to the panting Snape, who was fighting for air. "How was she, eh Severus? Too bad you're too far gone for her to kiss you and make it better. Now, mudblood, it's time for you to meet the fate you somehow evaded the last time we met. Would you like to see your beloved professor put out of his misery first, so you'll know how it works? He's a dead man anyway. Or were your parents enough for you?" He raised his wand to murmur the words, his wand pointed at her chest, but Hermione was too fast for him. She had read about the Unforgivable Curses before--maybe she could just pull it off...
"Avada Kedavra!" she whispered, waving her wand exactly as her books had instructed her. A burst of green light left her wand and smacked a shocked Lucius Malfoy straight in the chest. Soon he had hit the floor, and was staring at Hermione with cold, lifeless eyes. Closing her own eyes, Hermione tried not to panic. She thought she was going to vomit as the realization that she had just killed someone washed over her. A wheeze from Snape was enough to snap her out of it. Whirling around to run to his side, Hermione noticed that his eyes were looking more and more unfocused. He desperately tried to hold her gaze, but his normally clear black eyes were starting to mist over and roll back into his head. His mouth formed the word, "Go." Hermione shook her head.
"Severus, don't even think about dying on me. Just stay awake, okay? I'll take care of you." He looked at her again, bewildered, and tried to keep his eyes on her face. She placed her hands on his chest again and concentrated. For the next few moments, there was only the sound of Snape's ragged breathing echoing in the foyer. Hermione's mind was elsewhere. Much to her surprise, she had seen inside herself, and found a glowing silver pool of light that was pulsating with energy. It was her magical power--she was somehow accessing it directly. Instinctively knowing what to do, Hermione called smoky tendrils of magic with her mind and sent them down her arms into Snape's body. She concentrated on her knowledge of human anatomy, and focused on the damage she was sensing inside him. In her mind she repaired his ribs, knitting the bone together and adding extra strength to it. What was happening in her mind was also physically happening to Snape--she could feel his torso reconstructing under her palms. She did indeed find a hole in his lung, and she delicately wove the tissue back together, smiling to herself when his breathing improved a bit. Placing her hand on his forehead, she found him slightly concussed but lacking in severe damage. His eyes were still fixed on her, childishly helpless and trusting. Hermione found herself wondering just how many people had seen him this way. There was no time just now to think about that or her newly discovered healing powers.
The immediate dangers alleviated, Hermione decided that Snape should probably be moved upstairs now. Poor man--he was caked with dried blood, bruised, and probably had dozens of broken bones in his legs and feet and hands. His muscles were still contracting sporadically as a result of the Cruciatus curse.
[Minny!] she thought desperately. [It's Hermione! Please, come help me save Severus!] Hermione felt her magical power waning. She'd already overextended herself, and there was much left to do. Before long, much to her relief, the house elf scurried in, looking horrified at the body of Lucius Malfoy. Then, her face hardening, she called, "Mina, Andy, take this man and get rid of him permanently. No one can see his body." The small elves emerged, nodded, and obeyed their mother, and Hermione sighed with relief. One problem, at least, was taken care of.
"Minny," Hermione said, "I've already used a lot of magic and I'm very tired. Can you help me get him to his rooms upstairs?" Minny nodded and they whispered levitation charms together. Snape just closed his eyes and allowed them to move him. When they reached the door he'd neglected to explain to her on the first day, Minny opened it and they floated him in. Hermione noticed that the musk and leather scents of the house were intensified in here, but decided that now wasn't the time to think about it. Breathing deeply to relax herself, Hermione stepped into the personal room of Severus Snape.
The room was furnished mostly in black, but the floors were a pale gray and the room's numerous sources of light detracted from the room's harshness. There were no bookshelves in the room, but Hermione noticed that Snape's room also connected to the library. Lowering him gingerly onto his black bed, she motioned for Minny to sit on the other side of the now unconscious Snape. Hermione knew that he wasn't likely to die now, so she allowed him to rest. This part was going to get embarrassing, anyway, and it was better for him not to remember any of it.
"Minny, we have to remove his robes." Minny nodded and waved her hand, leaving a bruised and battered Snape with only his black silk boxers to cover him. Hermione gulped when she noticed that they were very revealing boxers. His lean form was surprisingly muscular, and those muscles flowed like liquid under his skin as he suffered from yet another cruciatus aftershock. Hermione sighed, forced herself to stop ogling her injured professor, and asked Minny to repair Snape's surface wounds while Hermione went to work on his bones.
Hermione's magic supply was already deteriorated, as she saw when she reached inside herself yet again to find only a fourth of her original supply. Sighing, she went to work, using most of it to repair Snape's myriad broken hand and wrist bones. There was only one last burst of power left when she was finished, which she decided to use on Snape's teeth, the last thing left for them to repair (more like replace). Grinning a little to herself, Hermione made sure that his new pearly whites were just that--perfectly aligned and sparkling. Now all they had to do was wait for him to wake up. Minny left to make sure Lucius's body was properly disposed of, and Hermione tried to sit up with Snape, taking one of his hands in hers. Unfortunately, her body was too tired now to go without rest, and she eventually collapsed on the bed beside him, drawn into a dreamless, blissful unconsciousness.
"Well, well. I hang around for a few more minutes to watch the fun and look who shows up!" Hermione turned to meet the cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy. She hadn't actually seen him leave. She mentally slapped herself. "Actually staying with your professors now, eh? Doing a little extra credit?" Malfoy's voice dripped with innuendo. He looked to the panting Snape, who was fighting for air. "How was she, eh Severus? Too bad you're too far gone for her to kiss you and make it better. Now, mudblood, it's time for you to meet the fate you somehow evaded the last time we met. Would you like to see your beloved professor put out of his misery first, so you'll know how it works? He's a dead man anyway. Or were your parents enough for you?" He raised his wand to murmur the words, his wand pointed at her chest, but Hermione was too fast for him. She had read about the Unforgivable Curses before--maybe she could just pull it off...
"Avada Kedavra!" she whispered, waving her wand exactly as her books had instructed her. A burst of green light left her wand and smacked a shocked Lucius Malfoy straight in the chest. Soon he had hit the floor, and was staring at Hermione with cold, lifeless eyes. Closing her own eyes, Hermione tried not to panic. She thought she was going to vomit as the realization that she had just killed someone washed over her. A wheeze from Snape was enough to snap her out of it. Whirling around to run to his side, Hermione noticed that his eyes were looking more and more unfocused. He desperately tried to hold her gaze, but his normally clear black eyes were starting to mist over and roll back into his head. His mouth formed the word, "Go." Hermione shook her head.
"Severus, don't even think about dying on me. Just stay awake, okay? I'll take care of you." He looked at her again, bewildered, and tried to keep his eyes on her face. She placed her hands on his chest again and concentrated. For the next few moments, there was only the sound of Snape's ragged breathing echoing in the foyer. Hermione's mind was elsewhere. Much to her surprise, she had seen inside herself, and found a glowing silver pool of light that was pulsating with energy. It was her magical power--she was somehow accessing it directly. Instinctively knowing what to do, Hermione called smoky tendrils of magic with her mind and sent them down her arms into Snape's body. She concentrated on her knowledge of human anatomy, and focused on the damage she was sensing inside him. In her mind she repaired his ribs, knitting the bone together and adding extra strength to it. What was happening in her mind was also physically happening to Snape--she could feel his torso reconstructing under her palms. She did indeed find a hole in his lung, and she delicately wove the tissue back together, smiling to herself when his breathing improved a bit. Placing her hand on his forehead, she found him slightly concussed but lacking in severe damage. His eyes were still fixed on her, childishly helpless and trusting. Hermione found herself wondering just how many people had seen him this way. There was no time just now to think about that or her newly discovered healing powers.
The immediate dangers alleviated, Hermione decided that Snape should probably be moved upstairs now. Poor man--he was caked with dried blood, bruised, and probably had dozens of broken bones in his legs and feet and hands. His muscles were still contracting sporadically as a result of the Cruciatus curse.
[Minny!] she thought desperately. [It's Hermione! Please, come help me save Severus!] Hermione felt her magical power waning. She'd already overextended herself, and there was much left to do. Before long, much to her relief, the house elf scurried in, looking horrified at the body of Lucius Malfoy. Then, her face hardening, she called, "Mina, Andy, take this man and get rid of him permanently. No one can see his body." The small elves emerged, nodded, and obeyed their mother, and Hermione sighed with relief. One problem, at least, was taken care of.
"Minny," Hermione said, "I've already used a lot of magic and I'm very tired. Can you help me get him to his rooms upstairs?" Minny nodded and they whispered levitation charms together. Snape just closed his eyes and allowed them to move him. When they reached the door he'd neglected to explain to her on the first day, Minny opened it and they floated him in. Hermione noticed that the musk and leather scents of the house were intensified in here, but decided that now wasn't the time to think about it. Breathing deeply to relax herself, Hermione stepped into the personal room of Severus Snape.
The room was furnished mostly in black, but the floors were a pale gray and the room's numerous sources of light detracted from the room's harshness. There were no bookshelves in the room, but Hermione noticed that Snape's room also connected to the library. Lowering him gingerly onto his black bed, she motioned for Minny to sit on the other side of the now unconscious Snape. Hermione knew that he wasn't likely to die now, so she allowed him to rest. This part was going to get embarrassing, anyway, and it was better for him not to remember any of it.
"Minny, we have to remove his robes." Minny nodded and waved her hand, leaving a bruised and battered Snape with only his black silk boxers to cover him. Hermione gulped when she noticed that they were very revealing boxers. His lean form was surprisingly muscular, and those muscles flowed like liquid under his skin as he suffered from yet another cruciatus aftershock. Hermione sighed, forced herself to stop ogling her injured professor, and asked Minny to repair Snape's surface wounds while Hermione went to work on his bones.
Hermione's magic supply was already deteriorated, as she saw when she reached inside herself yet again to find only a fourth of her original supply. Sighing, she went to work, using most of it to repair Snape's myriad broken hand and wrist bones. There was only one last burst of power left when she was finished, which she decided to use on Snape's teeth, the last thing left for them to repair (more like replace). Grinning a little to herself, Hermione made sure that his new pearly whites were just that--perfectly aligned and sparkling. Now all they had to do was wait for him to wake up. Minny left to make sure Lucius's body was properly disposed of, and Hermione tried to sit up with Snape, taking one of his hands in hers. Unfortunately, her body was too tired now to go without rest, and she eventually collapsed on the bed beside him, drawn into a dreamless, blissful unconsciousness.