"Severus! Wait," Dumbledore shouted. But Severus wasn't listening. He would find out where Hermione was, he would bring her back and he would make sure that whoever had tried to harm her would suffer. And he didn't want to be in their place. After all, he was a former Death Eater himself. And even if he had avoided to participate actively in their sick games, he knew enough about torture and 'questioning' someone that it would make them suffer. He had been the Dark Lord's interrogator. He could make anyone speak, with a little persuasion now and then. Mostly, it had been torture.
Yes, he was pretty skilled in hurting people, although he preferred the more subtle, non-physical way. His tongue mostly was his sharpest weapon. But that wouldn't suffice tonight. He wanted to hurt someone. Preferably Lucius Malfoy, that bastard.
He reached the heavy doors of the Great Hall. Dumbledore and Minerva were right behind him, but he didn't stop. He pushed the doors open.
Inside, a bunch of students and Hagrid were sitting at the table. Some were chatting, others were playing cards or writing Christmas cards. Draco Malfoy was reading a book.
"Malfoy!" Severus snapped. Draco looked up from the book. Behind him, he felt Dumbledore and Minerva enter the Great Hall.
"Severus," Dumbledore said. "I must insist that you-"
He was interrupted by a tiny black cylinder flying into the Great Hall, circling above their heads a few times and then stopping in mid-air right in front of Severus.
Everyone was staring at it. But only Severus knew what it was. Of course, that he hadn't thought about it before! He slapped his forehead. "I'm so stupid," he murmured.
The two Hufflepuff students exchanged a look. They were the two persons closest to him and had heard his words. He glared at them and they lowered their gazes.
"Show me where she is," he told the cylinder. It opened with a hissing noise and a transparent picture appeared. It showed an old hut. About two rooms, maybe three, Severus assumed from what he saw. Everywhere around the hut there were trees and an old-fashioned well was directly in front of it. Inside he could see lights and shadows moving.
"Hey, I know this place," Draco Malfoy exclaimed.
Severus' concentration was broken and the image faded away. The cylinder folded back together and sank to the ground. Severus picked it up and put it into his pocket. "Where is it?"
"It's an old hunting hut. My father used to take me there every summer for a week, sometimes two," Draco said. "It's not far away. It's outside in the forests of Hogsmeade."
Severus nodded. He knew where that was. "I'll go there."
"I'm coming, too," Harry and Ginny said simultaneously.
"No, you're not," he replied, walking over to the door, ignoring the other students' curious looks.
"Severus," said Dumbledore, clutching his arm as he went past him. "I don't think we should rush things. We don't even know if she really is there. And who's with her."
"She is there. The Anchor is never wrong," he answered. "And we know damn well who's with her. And what they could do to her right now. I won't wait till it's too late."
"Anchor?" Minerva asked.
He held up the cylinder. "That's what it's called. Generally, it's supposed to help a person not to get lost and always find the right way back home. I changed this one. Now it's a connection between the two of us. She can use it to find me or send it to me so that I can find her."
"Impressive," Minerva whispered. "Those are very expensive, Severus."
He rolled his eyes. Why did they talk that much? And why such unimportant nonsense? They needed to go and free Hermione. Now!
"I'm going," he said. "And I want to see the one who tries to stop me!"
With that, he went out of the Great Hall and towards the gates of Hogwarts. When he reached the gates, he knew someone was following him. He turned around.
Albus and Potter stood there, shivering in the cold.
"What do you want?"
"We're here to help you," Dumbledore replied. "Hagrid and Minerva are looking after the other students. And young Potter insisted on coming along."
"Whatever," he said, absent-mindedly. He was already working out a plan to rescue Hermione.
+~*#
Hermione went up the stairs, uncertain what to expect. But she hoped that Severus would be here in time to rescue her.
The stairs ended and she was in a small kitchen. Pansy Parkinson was sitting at the table, holding a steaming mug of tea. She smiled evilly and set the mug aside.
"Well then, Granger, up for a little party?" she asked, obviously amused with Hermione's despair. "D'you mind if I watch, Lucius?"
"Not at all, dear, not at all," he replied. "I think you may even be able to give her some advice as how to please me," he laughed.
Hermione tried to stay calm, but all her hopes seemed to be diminished by her captors' cold and heartless behaviour.
Pansy grabbed her arm and dragged her over towards a door and into the next room. It seemed to be a living room. A huge sofa and a low table were placed in the centre of the room. An antique fireplace and lots of hunting trophies made the room eerily similar to those rooms in old black and white movies, where the men retired to after dinner to smoke and talk and drink whiskey and bourbon and what not. In the movies, those rooms never seemed so creepy.
Malfoy walked into the room and opened the door on the opposite wall. Hermione could see a part of a large bed. It had to be the bedroom. Her eyes widened. She didn't want to go in there! And she surely wouldn't go without fighting.
She was still untied, so she pushed Pansy hard in the side and ran for the kitchen. Unfortunately, Malfoy reacted very fast. He drew his wand and shouted, "Stupefy!" She fell flat on the face. Luckily, the thick carpet prevented major injuries. But for a second, she couldn't breathe. The impact had squeezed the air out of her lungs and she felt like suffocating. But then the sweet air began filling her lungs again and she was relieved for a second. The fact that she wasn't unconscious was strange and not comforting. She tried to stand up. Her muscles worked perfectly well.
She heard Malfoy's cruel laughter. "I warned you not to try and run away." She turned around. He was just helping Pansy Parkinson to her feet. Pansy looked murderous. "Now I guess I'll have to punish you."
Pansy shook off his hand and came towards Hermione. "You dirty mudblood," she screamed. Out of nowhere she suddenly held the knife in her hand and lashed out for Hermione.
Caught in surprise, Hermione reacted a little late and felt a burning hot cut on her right cheek.
"Don't kill her," snapped Malfoy at Pansy. "We may need her. And that mudblood-lover Weasley could be useful, too. His father my be poor, but he works at the Ministry. And I'm sure Dumbledore would want to get his precious mudblood back."
Pansy still looked as if she were going to kill Hermione right then and there, but she put the knife away and crossed her arms over her chest. "You never let me have any fun," she pouted, causing Malfoy to walk over to them. He tilted up Pansy's chin and kissed her passionately.
"So, you don't have fun with me?" he asked, grinning slyly.
Hermione took her chance. As long as they were preoccupied, she could try to escape. She made a tiny step towards the kitchen door, hoping that Malfoy wouldn't notice as he was busy snogging Pansy.
But it didn't seem to be her lucky day. Malfoy pointed his wand at her without looking. "Move and you're dead," he threatened between kisses. Hermione froze.
Malfoy let go of Pansy and gestured towards the sofa. "Sit down," he barked. Hermione sat on the sofa, which was quite comfortable, actually – and her world went black.
+~*#
Severus released Potter's hand as soon as they appeared on the clearing. Potter couldn't Apparate – of course not, Apparition classes started in February – and so Albus and Severus had had to tug him along.
Looking around, Severus saw a faint glimmer of light behind the trees to his left. "This way," he said, pointing towards the light.
Silently, they made their way through the dark forest. Severus, who was leading the little group, stopped when he could see the hut. He turned around and took out his wand.
"I'll sneak up and look through one of the windows. Maybe I can see something as to where Hermione and Ron are being held," he whispered. "Wait here for me."
He didn't wait for an answer. He knew they wouldn't object. He was the only one able to find out if there were any wards and then get to the hut without being noticed. Potter didn't have any experience with wards and spying. And Albus, well, he was just too old to sneak up to someone, as skilled as he may be as a wizard.
He went slowly, listening for sound that weren't supposed to be there. He muttered a quick spell that would make any wards visible. But there weren't even silencing spells, as far as he could tell. Strange. Lucius must feel very safe to be that careless. What a fool!
He silently approached the nearest window and peeked inside. A kitchen. Empty. And a door leading down to the cellar. And where would be a better place to keep prisoners?
He gestured for Dumbledore and Potter to come nearer.
Looking around, he saw a shaft only a few inches above the ground. Maybe a cellar window. He bent down. At first he couldn't see a thing, but then he could focus on the candle-lit part of the room and he saw the Weasley boy, tied to a chair. He was bleeding and it looked as if he had lost a lot of blood already. He bit back the curse lying on his tongue and whispered, "I can see Ron. He's down there. I can't see Hermione."
"I suggest you two go and free Ron. I will stand guard and alarm you when I see Lucius Malfoy or Pansy Parkinson," Dumbledore suggested.
Severus nodded. Maybe Weasley knew where Hermione was. And they had to get him out anyways, so he agreed.
He was about to murmur an Opening Spell, when Potter suddenly lifted his hand. "Wait," he whispered. He reached out for the window and pushed it open. "Not locked," he explained. "I saw it in a muggle movie."
Frankly, Severus didn't care. He climbed inside, following Potter, and turned right to go down the stairs. He briefly wondered where the door to his left would lead to, but decided to find out later.
Without making a sound, he and Potter managed to go down into the cellar. Weasley sat in his chair, his back to the stairs, and didn't notice them.
Looking around, Severus saw a set of chains at the far wall. But the room seemed to be empty.
Wanting to make sure of that, Severus gestured to Potter to check the one side of the cellar, while he would check the other. Potter nodded and went down to the right. When they were sure that there wasn't anyone down there with them, he walked over to Weasley.
His eyes were blank. He didn't seem to be inside his body anymore.
"Mr. Weasley," Severus called silently. Ron just stared at him, complete confusion showing on his face. Then his face lit up with recognition.
"Professor Snape?" he asked, his voice hoarse – from screaming, Severus assumed. He nodded.
"Yes, it's me." He examined the cut on Ron's forehead. Half of his face was covered in blood, but it didn't seem to be as bad as he had suspected. There were a lot of cuts on his bare chest, too. Looking a little closer, he made out a word. 'Mine,' he read and shivered. 'Sick,' he thought, 'just sick.'
"We have come to rescue you," he added.
"Oh."
"Ron, you all right?" Potter came up behind him, a worried look on his face. Severus muttered a spell to loosen the ropes. "Where's Hermione?"
"Upstairs. Don't know where exactly." Ron tried to stand up, but his legs were too weak to support his weight. He felt dizzy; the room seemed to dance around them and the stairs seemed to be damn far away. Supported by Harry and Severus, he made his way up to the bottom of the stairs.
"Here," Severus said, handing Ron a small vial. "Drink this. Pepper-Up Potion."
Ron downed it in one big gulp and felt stronger immediately. He let go of Harry's arm and nodded. "Thank you. I'm feeling better already. Not dizzy anymore."
"Then let's go," said Harry, gesturing up the stairs.
+~*#
Hermione awoke on the sofa. She felt a bit dizzy and disorientated. She closed her eyes for another few seconds to make the dizzy feeling go away.
She tried to move, but she couldn't. Strong arms held her down. Opening her eyes again, she saw the devilish grin of Lucius Malfoy directly above her. Her eyes widened.
"Well, then, mudblood. Time to play," he said and ripped open her blouse.
"No," Hermione whispered. She felt weak, as if all her strength had been replaced by fear. She could only watch as Malfoy bent down and reached for her bra. He opened it and then cut it into shreds with Pansy's knife, obviously enjoying this. He brutally squeezed her breasts and licked them.
Hermione tried to shut herself out. But she was brought back by Pansy, spurring on Malfoy. Snapping back to reality, she suddenly began to struggle. "Let go of me," she screamed. "No, let go!"
Then everything seemed to happen at once.
The door burst open and Severus stormed in, followed by Ron, Harry and Dumbledore himself. Malfoy grabbed his wand and fired a curse at Dumbledore, while Harry and Severus both hexed Pansy, who was standing directly in front of them. Hermione took her chance and kicked Malfoy in the groin. He groaned and slumped on the floor.
Within seconds, Severus was by her side, holding her tight.
She had never felt more relieved or happy in her life. She was safe. Severus had come to safe her. She saw Dumbledore and Harry kneel beside Pansy.
Ron fainted, partly because of the blood loss, partly because all the tension had finally left his body. He was safe.
Hermione buried her head in Severus' shoulder. It didn't matter. Everything would be okay. Severus was there to safe her. No one would ever come near enough to harm her again. At least she hoped so.
But what if he didn't want to be the one to keep her safe? What if he thought of her as that annoying Gryffindor know-it-all he had to put up with because he got her pregnant? 'Oh God, the baby!' she thought. 'He doesn't even know! How could he possibly… Yes, what? What exactly do I want him to do, what do I want him to feel?'
"Hermione, love, are you okay?" he asked, concern and relief both evident on his face.
She nodded. "I was just so afraid," she said. "I can't even think about what would have happened if you were to come a little later…"
"Then don't. You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you ever again," he promised seriously. "I'm being selfish. But I just couldn't stand to lose you."
She was crying again. But this time it weren't tears of fear. "Good. I don't wanna be lost, you know."
He reached out and wiped away the tears. She looked up at him and he felt as if everything else faded away. Only she was important right now. Hell, she was the most important thing in his life. "You are the most important thing in my life," he whispered. "I love you," he realized, a bit surprised that he'd actually said the words.
Instead of an answer, Hermione pulled him closer and kissed him.
+~*#
The first thing Ron saw when he opened his eyes were Hermione and Snape, kissing. She was still lying on the sofa, half-dressed, and he was kneeling beside her, hugging her closely.
He had to be still dreaming. And a strange dream it was! But then he remembered where he was. It was too awful to be a dream. And he hurt too much to be sleeping. One couldn't hurt that much while dreaming, that was sure.
But before he could so much as sit up, he saw the slumped figure next to Snape and Hermione move. It was Malfoy! And he was standing up, wand in hand.
Ron shot a glance at Dumbledore and Harry, who were busy connecting Madam Pomfrey via fireplace.
"Watch out!" he yelled therefore and hoped Snape would react fast enough to stun Malfoy. He didn't. But Malfoy obviously wasn't completely insane. He saw that he had no chance against Snape, Dumbledore and Harry. He and Hermione were still wandless.
Malfoy just hissed, "I will get my revenge" and Disapparated with a plop.
Ron saw Madam Pomfrey step out of the fireplace. 'Oh, good,' he thought and passed out again.
A/N: So, what do you think? This won't be the end of it, after all, Lucius Malfoy is free and out to seek revenge. But I thought I did a pretty good job. Did you like the Sev/Hermione scenes? I liked Ron in this chapter, I have to say. But I like Ron in general, so it's not really surprising. Oh, and there will be a lot of Ron-scenes in the future. J
@ Pendragon: Yes, this means I'll not "kill Ron off". Sorry, but I need him.
Thank you, reviewers. I actually wrote one or two chapters more, but I'm not satisfied with them (okay, they suck. Really.). I'll update soon – I hope – and then from my own computer – I hope.