Disclaimer: In a world where I am queen and reign supreme, I own Harry Potter.

A few weeks later, Hermione and Severus sat in the dungeons working fruitlessly on a potion sent by the Ministry of Magic to be tested. Severus stood up and walked across the room to get a bottle off of the shelf. When he came back, he saw the notes Hermione had scribbled on her parchment.

"You can't do that," he told her.

"Why not?"

"It won't work, you can't put witchhazel in a potion with beezles."

"Yes you can. You just have to adjust the temperature and add a solvent for stability."

"That's ludicrous! It's highly theoretical. If you heat barstone oil too much, it can blow us all up!"

Getting agitated with him, "If you add a buffer of mercury brine, it all works out on paper."

He was enthralled yet aggravated by this conversation. "Mercury brine only theoretically works as a buffer, there's been no tests on it."

"I think it will work," she told him.

"It's too risky!" he shouted.

He lifted his right arm quickly to run through his air. Hermione misinterpreted his action. She flinched as she turned her head quickly to one side throwing her arms in front of her face as she sank into the floor.
"Don't hit me! Please!" she cried.

Severus looked at his arm with his fingers running through his hair. Gods, she thought I was going to strike her. Dammit Severus!

He bent down in the floor and took her arms in his hands. She turned to look at him slightly and he saw a single tear slip from the corner of her left eye.

"Hermione, I would never strike you, you should know that." He slowly put her arms down and wiped the tear that had begun to fall down her cheek. She enjoyed his touch against her skin, it was so different than Viktor's had been.

"I'm sorry Severus, I just thought that you were going to hit me," she tried to explain unable to hold his penetrating gaze.

"Why would I hit you?"

"Because you were angry with me and when Viktor was angry with me, he would hit me."

"I was not angry with you and I'm most certainly not Viktor Krum." He was hurt that she had thought that since Viktor had hit her when he was angry that he would hit her as well.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm so stupid!" Her tears fell freely down her cheeks. She leaned back against the table leg and let her tears fall.

"Please don't cry, no harm was done," he pleaded with her. She closed her eyes and he was there staring down at her. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling crying freely. She just wanted him out of her mind. Severus moved her hair from her face and began to wipe each tear away as it started to fall.

"What's wrong?" he wanted, no, he needed to know what had her so upset.

"I just," she didn't want him to know that Viktor was permanently imprinted in her mind, "I feel…"

"What? How do you feel?" he couldn't see that she was hurting, that she was having painful recollections of Viktor Krum abusing her over and over again. He didn't know that she didn't sleep at night, her nightmares always making her relive that day at the Leaky Cauldron. She didn't want him to know either.

"I don't know," it was true, she didn't really know how she felt. Part of her was terrified and panicked being touched by another man when all she could think about were the last pair of hands that had touched her, betrayed her. Then, another part of her felt warm and safe in the arms of Severus Snape, she felt as if she belonged there, no one could hurt her any more. In the end, she was confused because the only thought that was with her for every moment of her day was the memory of Viktor Krum.

Severus patiently waited for her to try and work out whatever it was she was going over in her mind. He put an arm around her and drew her into him. She rested her head on his shoulder like she had done after the rape. With his other arm free, he traced her jaw with his fingers. He moved his hand from her ear to her chin, outlining her subtle features. Her skin was soft and delicate, just like her. She let him touch her and she tried to let the hands belong to the man who had saved her, who had been so patient with her, but the image of Viktor kept infiltrating, sullying the new memory she was trying to create. After a few moments, she had calmed down enough and put Viktor out of her mind long enough to notice the gentleness that Severus used with her, that he had always used since he had found her outside Hogwarts. She was grateful for him, and she was beginning to believe that he appreciated her, perhaps even loved her. She began to notice his breathing change and it frightened her slightly. She tensed and was uncomfortable. He noticed immediately and got up.

"Why don't we continue on tomorrow? I think we've had enough excitement for one day."

"Yes, I think so. I'll be here in the morning." She got up from the floor straightened her robes and walked out of the dungeons. He sat down in her chair and thought to himself.

She's driving me crazy. I know she thinks about him, thinks I'm him. What can I do to make her see otherwise? Certainly not going about it like you did today. She could tell you were getting excited having her like that with you. What I wouldn't give to be able to kiss her and let her know that I am going to protect her. She's not ready for that, perhaps she'll never be. If only I could find that Krum fellow…

I want to sleep Viktor, I want to be free from you. Why won't you let me be? You got what you wanted now leave me? Leave my dreams and my thoughts. I beg you. I can't handle this anymore. But Viktor was always with her, in her dreams, in her mind. When her eyes closed, he was there. When she slept, he was there, taking what he wanted from her. When Severus touched her, it was Viktor's hands, the ones that had damaged her. She wanted to be free of him, but he wasn't going to let her do it. His memory and his invasion controlled her now as much as he had controlled her over three months ago. If only her life was as simple as a spell… she would end the pain with Finite Incantatem.

A/N: I do solemnly swear to in the near future reunite Hermione with Ron, Ginny, and Harry. I also promise to reveal why Hermione is having nightmares, what we will do with Viktor, and the elusive Jenna… but just not right now. Cheers!