Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to the goddess, JKR or it could belong to Charlotte Bronte or possibly Jane Austen. Whatever little bits are left over belong to me (unfortunately, Severus is not one of those little bits…oh well). Dedicated to my hubby…who doesn't particularly like Harry Potter, really doesn't like 19th century British fiction and yet still reads everything I have written and constantly encourages me. The fact that he dressed up as a Potions Master for Halloween has absolutely nothing to do with it ::grin::
Chapter 7: A Death in the Family
Severus was absolutely frantic with worry. Hermione, for all the ministrations of Mrs. Fairfax and the other servants, was not getting better and her bouts of delusion were becoming more and more frequent as her body progressively weakened. The local physician could not be located and it was assumed that he was assisting with another patient in a faraway parish.
Finally fed up with feeling useless, Severus walked into her room and quickly put Leah, who was the only one currently attending, under the influence of a Sleeping Spell.
He was ill prepared for the sight before him.
Hermione was lying on the bed. Her face and throat were shining with sweat and her hair was fanned out around her face in damp, heavy locks. Her lips were moving and her hands were regularly clenching and unclenching the sheets, twisting them into knots. She looked very upset, even though her eyes remained shut. She was moaning…tossing her head from side to side. Unintelligible mutterings that sounded at times like grief…pain…fear.
Sitting on the ground next to her was a basin and Severus could see that there was a dark liquid inside it…he realized with a shock that it was blood…her blood! Someone was bleeding her! He pulled up the sleeve of her nightgown and found the point where they had cut her. Cursing under his breath, he was sorely tempted to heal the crude incision but knew that it would rouse suspicions.
"I will have to have a talk with Mrs. Fairfax and order a stop to this barbaric treatment," he thought angrily…a cold light shining in his eyes as he pulled the sleeve back down.
He picked up a small stool and brought it to her bedside. Sitting down, he took a facecloth out of a small basin of cold water sitting on the night stand, wrung it out carefully and placed it over her forehead. For a moment, she tensed and shuddered at the cold feeling but then, slowly, her agitation began to ease somewhat. He touched her cheek, feeling the hot skin burning into his. He placed two fingers at the side of her throat and felt her pulse racing out of control.
"What am I going to do?" He whispered, taking her hand in his. It was limp…lifeless…as if all her strength had burned away.
"Why did you have to go, Ron?" She began to cry, tears beginning to fall from the closed lids.
Severus was momentarily stunned at the outburst and did not know what to do. Was she expecting an answer? Did she think he was Ron?
"I miss you so much, Ron," she sobbed. Severus did not let go of her hand but he felt his heart crack into several pieces. She had loved Ron? He had always assumed that their relationship had never gone outside the boundaries of friendship but this declaration seemed to refute that notion.
"Ron…Ron cared for you a great deal, Hermione," Severus managed to answer.
She nodded tiredly. "My best friend. Oh Ron…you were the only one who knew…the only one I dared tell…"
"Tell what?"
"My secret," her voice was taking on a singsong quality that Severus did not like…the fever was still raging…he was concerned about seizures.
"I thought Gryffindors had no secrets," he said lightly, removing his hand from hers and refreshing the cloth on her forehead.
"I'll never tell," she teased, licking her dry lips. Severus picked up a glass of water and managed to get her to take a sip before arranging the linens around her.
"You must try to rest, Hermione," Severus whispered softly.
Hermione suddenly became agitated again, grabbing the linens and straining against them as if…
"Get away from me, Lucius. You cannot keep me here. Don't touch me!!!"
Severus, not wanting any other visitors, quickly cast a Silencing Spell on the room.
"She is imagining that she is at Malfoy Mansion," he thought to himself anxiously. Thinking of nothing else that could possibly calm her in her fevered state, Severus gathered her up in his arms and held her close, pulling a knit blanket around her. She struggled briefly and cursed him repeatedly, thinking he was Lucius, but her body was weak from the fever and the bleeding and she quickly succumbed to the pull of sleep.
Severus continued to hold her for a few moments. He could not let her go…he was scared to.
"I'll never forget that night…the night I found you," he thought to himself as he reached over to pick up the fallen facecloth in the basin of water and dipped it into the water. He shuddered violently.
"Never."
***************Flashback********************
"Are you sure of this?" Harry asked incredulously.
"It isn't possible…we saw her…she was dead," Ron sputtered furiously.
Severus shook his head. "A reliable source has told me that she is being held prisoner at Malfoy Manor."
"Who told you this?" Sirius grabbed Severus by his robes. "And why is this information so conveniently given to you now?"
"Let go of me, Black! I had nothing to do with this," Severus pushed him away roughly. "Marcus Flint met me in the dungeons, not fifteen minutes ago."
"Leave him alone, Sirius," Ron snapped, tired of their constant bickering. "I'll bet Flint was thrilled to death…he's had her number since she captured his parents."
"Marcus told me that it was all false…the person we thought was Hermione was a Muggle he had murdered himself…a Muggle who had been given a derivative of the polyjuice potion… the effects lasted much longer. The person in Hermione Granger's grave is not Hermione Granger," Severus said coldly. "Marcus is currently under the effects of a Stunning Spell…I…I almost…"
Harry walked over and put a hand on his former professor's shoulder.
"Would have been no great loss if you had, Snape," Sirius muttered under his breath.
"But why? I don't understand. If we are supposed to think she is dead, what possible value could she conceivably have to him?" Ron asked, his expression one of absolute confusion.
Severus opened his mouth but could not speak. Sirius turned to him suddenly, a terrible gleam in his eyes.
"He's…he's keeping her, isn't he?"
Severus nodded.
Harry looked at the two older men. "What are you talking about?" Ron's eyes suddenly widened in fear.
Sirius turned to Harry. "There have always been rumours about Malfoy and a couple of others…and their…appetite for…Muggles or Muggleborns."
"What!!!" Ron screamed, jumping to his feet.
"It is my belief," Severus continued, sickened, "that Lucius is keeping Hermione a prisoner for the sole purpose of…of his own sadistic pleasure."
Harry's face turned white.
"We have to get her out of there!" Ron screamed, pulling out his wand.
"And what would you have us do? You do not understand how well protected Malfoy Mansion is. We would all be dead before setting a foot in there!" Severus shouted.
Sirius looked shaken beyond words. "You swear you had nothing to do with this?"
"Sirius!" Ron suddenly shouted. "Stop making an ass of yourself."
Sirius looked at Ron curiously for a moment, then turned back to Severus.
"I am deeply offended you have the gall to ask me that, Black!" Severus' expression was dark and angry. "I would never hurt her. You know that!"
Sirius nodded. "I'm angry, Snape. I'm angry as hell…the thought of Lucius…" Sirius could not continue.
Ron was still shaking his head in disbelief…muttering unintelligible somethings under his breath.
"What do we do?" Harry finally asked, in a voice that did not shake, although his knuckles were white from holding his wand so tightly.
In the end, Severus had asked Harry to accompany him…too large a group would risk certain failure. Sirius was furious as was Ron, but in the end, it was agreed that this was for the best.
Unfortunately, the plan did not work as planned and Harry found himself battling not only Lucius Malfoy but a number of other Death Eaters as Severus rushed into the dungeons of Malfoy Manor to find Hermione. He opened the door and rushed in, wand out. He stopped as quickly as if he had rushed face first into a stone wall.
She was hanging by the manacles around her wrists, blood streaming down her arms…her face covered by her hair. She was completely nude except for a collar around her neck. Nearby were various whips and paddles…used recently if the bruising was any indication…and those were not the only marks on her body…
Fighting down the urge to be sick, Severus hurried to her, magically opening the manacles and catching her as she fell into his arms. He threw his cloak over her and held her close. She was alive.
"Hermione?"
For several long moments, she did not stir. Severus could hear the sounds of the battle on the upper levels.
"Hermione…please answer me," he tried again.
Her eyes opened fearfully and immediately she began to struggle against him.
"It's me, Hermione. It's Severus. You're safe now…I won't let him hurt you again," he whispered…not daring to let go of her...scared she might harm herself.
She stopped struggling and began to cry uncontrollably. "He…he…to me…I couldn't stop him…I…he only laughed…oh, gods, Severus!" She buried her face in his chest and sobbed brokenly. Severus' face was a study in cold fury.
Suddenly Severus heard Harry shout something very loudly…and then there was an awful silence.
"He will pay, Hermione. I swear that he will pay for what he did to you," he whispered. Carrying her up the stairs, he found Harry holding someone. There were many dead bodies strewn around the room.
And Harry was crying.
"What happened?" Severus asked…suddenly anxious.
Harry lifted his head and Severus saw who it was cradled in his lap. It was Ron! One look into the vacant brown eyes told him that he was dead.
"He saved my life. Lucius Malfoy was going to kill me…Ron…pushed me out of the way," Harry whispered…the words echoing in the eerie silence.
"Where is Lucius?" Severus asked, looking around…wanting to look at anything except the dead form of someone he had considered to be a friend.
"Over there…I stunned him."
"You did the right thing, Harry. Death is too good for him," Severus hissed through clenched teeth, holding Hermione tighter.
"Is she all right?" Harry asked, wiping his eyes.
"No…she needs help. I have to get her back to the Hogwarts infirmary…"
"But Madam Pomfrey is dead…there is no one there who can treat something as
serious as this," Harry protested.
"I will look after her," Severus looked at Hermione's sleeping face. "I am truly very sorry about Ron, Harry. I know you were close…he came from a brave family and I respected him a great deal. He will be sorely missed."
"This is all my fault. I should have realized he would come after me," Harry's eyes began to shimmer again. "He never listened to me."
"Don't dishonour the sacrifice he made, Harry. He felt that you and Hermione were worth the risk. You know you would have done the same for him." Murmuring a Soothing Spell to ensure that she would stay asleep, Severus set Hermione down on a chesterfield and walked over to Harry.
"Of course I would have…he's…he was…he was my best friend," Harry whispered, looking down at Ron and closing the brown eyes with shaking fingers.
"We have to leave this place quickly, Harry…otherwise his sacrifice will have been in vain," Severus touched Harry's arm gently. "You have to bring him back with you…his parents…"
"I know, Severus…I'm…just…messed up right now," Harry admitted, gently easing Ron to the ground before standing up. He picked up Ron's wand and put it in his pocket. Levitating Ron carefully, he turned to Severus. "What about them?"
Picking up Hermione, Severus looked grimly at the various corpses. "Leave the dead…they are of no use to us. Bring Lucius…I want to be there when the Dementor chokes on his soul…for Hermione's sake."
Levitating the unconscious man, Harry nodded. "I will be there with you as well, Severus…for Ron's sake," he replied savagely.
**************End of Flashback*****************
"And Sirius witnessed the horrid affair…he had a long standing grudge against Lucius Malfoy and insisted that he be present," Severus thought as he held Hermione close.
"You are safe, Hermione. You are safe from him. He can never hurt you again," Severus whispered to her, even though she was now fast asleep in his arms. He set her down gently on the bed and straightened the rumpled sheets and blankets around her. Her fever was not breaking and he was at a loss…ingredients for a simple fever-reducing potion were easy enough to procure in Hogsmeade but what about here? Who would know?
He mentally smacked his head soundly and stood up.
"I'll be back shortly, Hermione," he whispered, placing his hand over hers for a moment.
He quickly left the room, nullifying the Silencing Charm and rousing Leah once he was safely in the corridor. He did not stop running until…
"Bertha! I need your help!" He called to the woman in the attic.
"A moment!" She replied. He heard the sound of a body falling. "Come in."
He walked through the door, stepping over the sleeping body of Grace Poole.
"Your companion is very ill," Bertha said, looking rather worried. "They are not doing a particularly good job of looking after her. Unfortunately, I lack any skill in potions. I would do more harm than good."
"I have to do something…I have no potions ingredients on me except a vial of Veritaserum," Severus walked up to her.
"There is an apothecary's shop in the village…about ten miles away. You should be able to find what you need there," Bertha looked pensive.
"Can I apparate there? It would be faster," Severus asked.
"No…your magic is not the magic of this world. You must reach the village by more conventional means. But, I warn you, there is great risk in exposing yourself to more people than is absolutely necessary."
"She will die if I don't do something!" Severus shouted.
"That is true…her body has not recovered its strength from other battles she has had to fight," Bertha replied, pausing to look into an empty teacup. "You have to be careful…there are those who can help you and those who wish to hurt you and you will not always be able to tell which is which."
"I have to take the chance…have to accept the risk…she is…she is the only good thing in my life," Severus turned from Bertha suddenly and walked to the door. He stopped, closed his eyes for a moment. "I cannot lose her."
Bertha walked over to him and touched his arm. "I know that. Take the fastest stallion in the stables. The apothecary's shop is not a long ride…use your wand to find the way."
"How will I pay for the ingredients?" He asked, opening the door.
"Take this," she summoned Grace's purse and gave it to Severus.
"But…I can't possibly…"
"She is drunk half the time…she will assume that she lost it. Go…you are wasting time!"
On a sudden impulse, Severus took Bertha's hand and kissed it. "I have no words to thank you, Madame."
For a moment, there was sadness in Bertha's
eyes but it quickly cleared. "Go! Or I'll turn you into a toad!"
Smiling slightly, he hurried out of the room and down the corridor.
Bertha closed the door and sat down on her bed, waiting for Grace to wake up.
"If only you had been more like him, Edward…maybe we would have had a chance," she whispered to the emptiness.