Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter just the plot and Opruim
Hermione lay back down again. She was confused. Why didn't they just give her a truth serum, to find out where Harry is? Why torture her to get the answer?
It did not add up in her mind.
She heard voices outside the room but she couldn't quite make out what was being said. Without warning the door opened slightly and a small figure slipped into the room. She heard a spell muttered. Hermione held her breath for a moment hoping it was someone coming to rescue her. There was moment of utter stillness before Hermione heard a match strike and a lantern illuminated the room. There was a woman standing in the corner by the door. She was older than Hermione and dressed in a Grey cloak.
Hermione's chest tightened slightly with apprehension.
"Don't be afraid," said the woman in a sweet but heavily accented voice.
"Who are you?" asked Hermione.
"My name is Marie, I am from France, I have come to wash you and clean your wounds," she replied as stepped forward to Hermione's side. The bubble had been removed
"Who is your master, Marie?" Hermione asked mindfully. She was not going to take any chances. Marie now looked confused.
"Never mind," said Hermione. She could tell Marie was not evil and did not have the strength to ask everything that she wanted too.
Marie nodded and approached her cautiously. She indicated to Hermione to stand up so she could wash her. Hermione complied deciding it would be best to try gain her trust. The water was only slightly warm as Marie began to soap her. Marie remained quiet only speaking to ask Hermione to lift her arms or move her legs. Hermione bit her lip from the pain every time Marie washed the wounds on her back and stomach.
"When did you come from France?" she asked gently. Marie abruptly stopped what she was doing. Hermione could see the tears well up in her blue eyes even though the lighting in the room was poor. Yet she said nothing.
"Were you brought here against your will?" she tried again. This time Marie responded by nodding. Hermione reached out to touch the woman's shoulder to comfort her but Marie shrunk away from her, suddenly looking scared.
Hermione decided she could ask her one more question. Marie was almost finished, putting some ointment on her back.
"Is there anyway I can get out of here?" Hermione asked quietly. Marie made no reply and carried on what she was doing.
Hermione gave up and let her finish in silence. She then handed Hermione a grey cloak that she put on grateful. As Marie was leaving, her hand on the doorknob, she turned and looked at Hermione. Puzzled, Hermione tried once more for some answers.
"Please!" she pleaded. Marie walked over to her.
"There is only one way out, I was taken from my love, if he were to find me, then we could leave, there is no other way,"
It took Hermione a minute to understand what Marie was saying.
"Does he know where you are, how long has it been?" asked Hermione hopefully.
Marie shook her head.
"It has been three months," she said beginning to cry. There was a knock on the door making Marie jump from fright.
"The evil master is coming," she whispered and ran to the door as it opened. The door slammed shut leaving Hermione in the darkness again with more unanswered questions.
'The evil master is coming?' fear took over her thoughts. It could mean only one person, Voldemort.
* * * * *
Snape cursed on arrival at the Leaky Cauldron. He had forgotten something. He quickly found Tom in his usual spot behind the bar.
"Professor, good to see you!" Tom bellowed happily. Snape glared at him, uncomfortable at being met with such enthusiasm.
"The muggle's daughter, which room did she stay in?" he inquired. Tom looked confused for a moment.
"Thirteen, but-" he stopped, after realizing Snape meant the Granger's who had been killed.
"I will take it," ordered Snape before Tom could protest. It had been a strange few days for him, so the Professor's request was not met with surprise.
Snape stormed up the stairs moodily. He could not believe that he had forgotten that photo, that and the fact he was showing any sentiment for it, very unlike himself.
He stood for a moment outside thirteen before entering. The room had obviously been cleaned, but the first thing Snape noticed is the air was thick. He went to the windows and opened them, letting the air come gushing through. 'Even the dungeons are not like this,' he thought to himself. He quickly unpacked trying to decide whether to go back to Hogwart's for his forgotten item. Knowing it would be time-consuming he decided against it. He just would have to go without it. Snape touched his heart for a moment in thought.
'I must find Hermione, I will not loose to Lucius Malfoy again!' he thought angrily. He knocked on the inter-joined door to the other room. When he received no response, he took out his wand.
"Alohamora!" and the door unlocked. Snape entered the room to find that it was still in a shambles. Tom had not cleaned it yet, probably because he would be unable to get people to stay in it. Muggle's had died here, and Snape knew that the wizard world had the same stupid belief as muggle's, about staying where someone had recently died. He shook his head at this thought and started to rummage around. Not finding anything, he sighed heavily. The Ministry would have taken anything that belonged to the Grangers. The room's air was also thick like the other room, but even more so.
In fact Snape was cold not to mention the feeling that he was not alone.
He turned to see two ghostly figures hanging from high hooks above the fireplace. The woman had been stripped naked, her body full marks from being beaten. The man had been cut at the throat. Snape was unsure why he was seeing this. It was unlike Death eaters to kill anyone like this. He looked closely at them for clues but slowly the bodies seem to dissolve. They had been left as a warning to whoever came to try finding Hermione.
That night Severus tossed and turned in his sleep. His dreams took him back to the night where Lucius Malfoy had questioned his loyalty, after Severus had not come when Voldemort had called. He had tried to persuade Lucius that if it were not for Dumbledore that he would have come. Snape had also refused to help find Harry over the summer, telling his old friend that he had other immediate things to deal with, but the truth was he already knew where Harry stayed. His feeble excuse caused Lucius to be immediately suspicious. Lucius then took away the one thing that Snape loved, refusing to return it until Snape brought Harry Potter to him. Snape had stood up against Lucius, who called on the other Death eaters, rendering Snape defenceless. He returned to Hogwart's defeated after spending hours fighting the Cruciatus curse and since had not been called upon for meetings. He had yet to face Voldemort, but Severus knew that it was only a matter time. He was in great danger trying to rescue Hermione; the death eaters would kill him first.
Severus awoke in a pool of sweat. It was just after twelve. He quickly dressed, knowing that some of the death eaters came in for a few rounds of drinks after midnight. Snape crept down the stairs and peeked around the corner. He was in luck. There were three of them tonight, discussing what had happened at the earlier at a meeting. Evidently Lucius Malfoy had called the meeting, and Voldemort had not been in attendance. The child had not told them anything, but Lucius had decided that she being a mudblood would be tortured until she told them. Considering Harry Potter was back at Hogwart's, they had plenty of time before he returned home. The girl would be an example.
"Wait till Voldemort finds out!" said the one. Snape drew back astonished.
'This was Malfoy's own doing not Voldemort. And then perhaps Voldemort had not discovered Hermione's secret, which even she did not know!' he thought slightly relieved.
The three continued to drink until there was only one death eater left. Snape recognized him as Opruim, a new recruit in the last few years. He was not the brightest but very loyal to Voldemort, and ironically disliked Lucius intensely. Snape knew this was his only chance. He quietly approached Opruim and sat down opposite him. Opruim looked up somewhat surprised but smiled as he recognised Snape.
"Hey, where have you been, I have not seen you for months?" he asked. Snape took a deep breath.
"I have been working closely on something with Voldemort," he lied. Opruim eyes widened at the mention of his Master's name.
"He has sent me to you, to gain your knowledge, and remove Lucius from his position, because he has betrayed him," Snape whispered. Opruim looked at him for a moment before he nodded. Snape was halfway there.
"We must get the girl and take her directly to Voldemort, she has powers that Lucius does not know about and must not know about," Snape continued, risking partial truth in hope it would not reach Voldemort. He was almost drawn in himself to the story he was weaving.
Opruim took a long sip of his butter beer, before belching loudly. He looked around the room, to find they were the only two still there.
"Well we better go get her then," was his reply. The corners of Snape's mouth curled slightly, his first real attempt to smile in as long as he could remember.