Hermione awoke with a start and sat straight up. She had been laying on a large bed with black satin sheets and a down comforter. Okay. Not how one usually wakes up after being kidnapped. Wonder if I'll be this comfortable when he RIPS MY ORGANS OUT! OH MY GOD! Get up get up get up, find an exit. Must find exit, NOW.
"Ah, Miss Granger, you're awake," the voice still sent shivers up Hermione's spine.
"What? I'm Miss Granger now, and not Mudblood Princess? My, I have risen in the world." There must be some sort of procedure that reattaches your brain to your mouth...and I really need to get it.
"You really shouldn't be so rude. I've taken exquisite care not to harm you. You're to be my queen." Hermione finally looked at Lucius where he sat on an armchair facing the bed. He had a predatory gleam mixed with a look of complete lunacy. My kinda guy.
"Yeah, well, I might not have so much of a problem with it if it didn't involve, among other things, necrophilia."
"Such a prude. You may enjoy it when the time comes." She hadn't taken her eyes off him and suddenly he went a bit transparent. "And the time will be soon."
"I'll be dead when it happens so me enjoying it is unlikely. And how soon is soon?" Hermione knew she looked panicked, but couldn't control it.
Lucius rose, solidified, and walked over to her. "Two days. The full moon, of course, my little witch. I really had you pegged as brighter…makes a perfect sort of sense if you think about it. Your power will be strongest on the full moon." He smiled…then leaned down and kissed her.
"Au revoir. Get some rest, you'll need it." Malfoy left the room and Hermione felt the wards go up. I just got kissed by a dead man. Why can't my life be anything close to normal? Two days to get the hell out of here. Two days. Christ, I'm dead.
Snape pulled himself up after Malfoy disapparated with Hermione and ran towards the window. He saw Callah's limp body on the ground outside, panicking him. He leapt easily through the broken window and jogged over to her. As he drew closer, Snape noticed the blood all over her, as well as shards of glass still embedded in her arms. He knelt by her and probed her wounds gently. Callah stirred and groaned.
"Jesus that hurt. Is Hermione…?"
"He took her," Snape replied shortly. "Stay still, you've probably managed to get a concussion."
"Nice to know you care," she replied, but her voice was weak instead of teasing. Snape removed as much of the glass as he could and did a quick cleaning spell, then slid his arms beneath her, making sure to cradle her neck and head. He stood quickly and fluidly and she slumped against him. He saw the blood matted into her hair and looked down at the spot where she'd landed. He cursed as he saw the pipe and spigot for a garden hose.
"You would manage to land on a metal pipe," he growled.
"…Aim to please…" Callah murmured, shifting in his arms and settling her head in the curve of his shoulder and neck. Snape could feel her heart fluttering slightly against him as he strode towards the house. He knew that the reflexive shield she'd thrown up against Malfoy had drained most of her energy. She'd not been able to shield herself from the glass or the pipe. He'd also learned from Albus the day before that she'd been injured in Kashmir and went back to the headquarters for the Order to recuperate so as not to worry or distract Hermione. Remus Lupin had cared for her for until Hermione had summoned her. Callah had looked fine, but she was obviously far more damaged than he'd realized.
He berated himself soundly for not sending her back to headquarters immediately and corresponding by floo network instead.
"Sev, you have to find Hermione. What if she's hurt?"
"She's fine. I believe Lucius will wait for the full moon to do anything. That is logically when she'll be strongest. Now shut up. You're wasting what energy you have."
Snape carried Callah up the stairs and automatically turned left in the hallway, assuming that the other bedroom had to be hers. He hadn't really thought about how to get the door open, but growled at Callah again as she lifted her hand and flicked her wrist slightly, unlocking and swinging open the door.
"Only way to open it…"
He conjured a towel on her bed and lay her gently down.
"You need to get out of these clothes so I can remove any glass from your back and apply an ointment. I have a potion that will deal with the concussion, I'll be back momentarily." Snape nearly sprinted out of the room and to the guest room he'd been using, where he pulled out a miniscule vial and enlarged it. He was prepared for any eventuality. He returned to Callah's room where he saw her as he'd left her.
"I'm gonna need some help, Sev," she murmured. He helped her into a sitting position then carefully peeled off her shirt. Callah slumped forward as he pulled a few shards of glass from her back and applied a green, pine-smelling ointment. Snape tried to ignore the black lace of her bra and the smooth, brown skin of her body. His soul ached.
He gave her the potion. "Drink this," he commanded, aware that his voice was a few octaves lower than usual. She did not comment if she noticed, and simply drank the potion. Callah laid back onto the bed and closed her eyes as the potion took effect. Again, Snape tried to ignore the black lace of her bra and the gentle curve of her breasts. He looked away pointedly.
And straight at himself. He flinched for a moment, surprised, then realized it was a picture. He was sitting behind his potions desk, and Callah was sitting atop it, leaning back against him and grinning at the camera. At the time, he remembered, he'd growled at her about disturbing his things for a silly picture, wasting his time, but in the picture his features were relaxed into…well if not a full smile, a look of fondness. Gods, he'd loved her. The pain of her not wanting him, of leaving him, came rushing back.
"It's my favorite picture," she said softly, from behind him. He'd been mesmerized by the look of happiness on her face in the picture and had not noticed her rise and move behind him. The potion was one of his better creations and she was a fast healer.
"I think it's the closest anyone's ever gotten to a smile from you," her voice was low but sweet. He remembered that the potion lowered inhibitions.
Callah leaned into his back, pressing her body into him and wrapping her arms round him. She turned her face and rested her cheek between his shoulder blades.
"I—this—" Snape faltered.
"I'm going to make you smile again, Severus Snape, it's only a matter of time." She slid her hands beneath his shirt and his stomach tensed reflexively. Snape turned quickly, throwing her off balance. Callah nearly fell, but he caught her quickly, steadying her. His eyes were hard, angry, but she ignored it. Callah reached up and caressed his face gently. "It saddens me that you tense when people touch you…" her voice was mournful. Snape gave into temptation and closed his eyes, relaxing into her caress and letting his hands settle on the bare skin of her back. "We're going to have a long talk when this is over, Severus. But first we're going to find Hermione and kill Lucius properly."
Snape opened his eyes and met her gaze. He was entranced by her and Callah could see it. She pulled his head down and kissed him lightly, sweetly on the lips, before pulling away and walking toward the bathroom.
"I'm going to take a shower, and then I'll need you to reapply the ointment. Will you contact Remus? His…special connection to the moon may be helpful. As will his special connection to Mya."
Snape was still staring at the bathroom door when he finally registered her words.
"Connection? If he--LUPIN!!"
