Disclaimer: Do Not Own.
A/N: This chapter will have graphic violence and rape in it so be warned. If you don't want to read this then wait for the next chapter.
Chapter Eight: The End of the Line
Remus stood slowly and followed Lucius out of the room. He had a feeling that he knew what would greet him in the dungeons and he was afraid of how he would react to seeing Peter's pathetic face. He wondered if he could keep himself from killing him in one fell swoop. He could feel his blood starting to boil as he followed Lucius deeper and deeper into the depths of the Malfoy Dungeons. They stopped outside of a large black door.
Lucius stood slightly off to the side so that Remus could pass through the door. He wondered how long Remus could keep the wolf at bay before all hell broke loose, especially with it being so close to the full moon. He gave it ten minutes at the least. " I hope that this will help you realize that Tom wants to try and help keep Harry safe from Dumbledore and to help you find your daughter and wife." He said looking Remus in the eyes. He could see the controlled blood lust in his eyes. Thank Merlin these rooms had silencing charms on them.
Remus watched as Lucius unlocked the door. "I don't know how long I will be in here. Could you tell Harry and Severus not to worry about me. Tell them that I am doing something that should have been done four years ago." He watched Lucius nod his head in consent and then turned and walked into the dungeon chamber without a backward glance.
Lucius grinned when he heard the unmistakable sound of Peter screaming in excruciating pain. That sound was enough to brighten any man's day. He then hurriedly walked back up to the living room. He had a feeling that Peter was not going to last long in the hands of Remus. He had just turned to walk into the living room when he heard Remus's footsteps coming up on him. Impressive. It had taken him less than ten minutes.
"That didn't take nearly as much time as I thought it would. I was under the assumption that werewolves like to play with their prey before they go in for the kill?" Lucius said letting his voice show that he found humor in the situation.
Remus had a thoughtful look on his face for a full two seconds before he answered. "I would think that four years is enough play time." He said smirking and then turned and followed Lucius into the living room. He and Severus had to get Harry and Draco back to Hogwarts before anyone noticed that they were gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was dark and cold the fire had gone out hours ago, but Hermione was too tired and hurt too much to get up and find where Ron had put her wand. He had taken it off her when he came in earlier this evening and seen that she was trying to heal herself. That was forbidden, after all the bruises and welts were there to remind her that she belonged to him. She was weak and he was strong. Ron had beaten her badly after taking her wand off her. He threatened to snap it the next time that she tried anything.
Hermione could feel the raw welts on her back from Ron's belt. That was his new instrument to inflict pain. She knew that if she looked at herself in the mirror she would see the finger shaped bruises around her throat. It was getting worse. He was getting more violent, and she didn't know what he had planned next. Maybe she could get Harry to hide her in the Slytherin common rooms until she could figure out a way to keep Ron away. She knew deep down that if she didn't do it soon he would kill her.
Determination set in and Hermione stood shakily wrapping her robe tightly around her small body. The room swayed with the first couple of steps but she had to make it to Harry.
Harry would save her.
He had to.
She couldn't stand to live like this anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry brushed the ash off of his robe as he stepped out of the fireplace. When he looked up he saw Professor Snape, his father, was smiling at his futile attempt to brush the ash off. He then pointed at the door to his right, "Bathroom. Get cleaned up before you head back to your dorm."
Harry nodded and walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He quickly stripped his dirty robes and stepped into the shower. A short time later Harry stood looking at the mirror image of himself taking in the obvious changes to his body that had occurred earlier that night. His once short unmanageable hair now lay in dark shiny waves that just brushed the tops of his shoulders. It was black as night but if he looked closely he could see that he had deep blood red highlights through it. He figured that those were from his mother. It was nice to know that he could finally see something of her in him besides his eyes. He was still about the same height another thing from his mother, although his face was a lot thinner and he held an air of gracefulness that he had not had before. Over all he felt like what he was seeing was finally the real him.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Harry watched as his father sat down in a comfortable chair facing the now crackling fire. It was so strange in his mind to be calling anyone Father let alone Professor Snape. Everything that had happened tonight was still swirling around in his head. Draco was going to stay at the Manor for a while longer so that he could take to his Father and Mother. Harry knew that Draco missed his parents a lot, and this would give them a little of alone time to come to terms with the fact that Lucius's sister was still alive somewhere and that brought his thoughts circling back to Remus.
He couldn't even begin to think of what Remus would be going through. He had heard Remus telling his Father that he was going to go back to his flat and gather up a few things before he came back here. He had said that he would be back in time for breakfast. Harry looked up into familiar onyx eyes and sighed.
" What's going to happen now? I mean I really don't look too much like my old self, and I think that people are going to realize that I look a lot like you now." Harry said playing with a silky stand of black hair that fell to his shoulders, much like his Fathers, minus the greasy potions residue.
"We are going to play dumb. The less that Albus thinks that we know the safer that you will be." Severus said while taking in his son's appearance. Harry looked so much like he had at seventeen it was uncanny. But thank Merlin he had Lily's nose and eyes. " I think that you had better get back to your rooms, I will come and collect you as soon as Remus comes back. Draco will be along shortly I believe." He said as he stood and lead Harry to the entrance to his private quarters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione had made it almost to the Slytherin dungeons when she felt some one-grab a hold of her still mending arm and slam her against the cold stone wall. When she opened her eyes she knew that she was in deep shit. It was Ron and he was furious.
" I thought that I told you that you were forbidden to come anywhere near those fucking slimy snakes!" He said spitting in her face.
Hermione felt like the world had just dropped out from under her, she had never seen him this angry and she was terrified. "I…I… was… just…out…out…walking." She said her voice trembling in fear. Hermione closed her eyes anticipating the hits to start. She peaked one eye opened when nothing happened but the look on Ron's face made her quickly regret it. Ron stood there looking at her with a wild and feral grin on his face. She felt the tip of his wand digging into her skin under her chin forcing her to look up at him.
"I am going to do what I should have done a long time ago. I am going to make sure that you never wonder to someone else ever again." Ron snarled menicely.
Hermione felt Ron pinning her against the wall with his body when he suddenly grabbed her head and slammed it hard into the stone behind her. She could feel a trickle of blood running down the back of her head.
Oh God he is going to kill me.
Suddenly Hermione was no longer against the wall but was lying face down on the floor with Ron's hand holding her head so that she couldn't get up. She felt his rough hands ripping her sweat pants off of her hips and leaving them around her ankles cutting off her legs range of motion. She could feel his hot breath at her neck and ear making her cringe, tears pouring down her cheeks and soaking the cold ground below her. She couldn't believe that this was happening; he was going to rape her. After all that he had done to her this was the one thing that he had not yet done.
"You will always be mine, I will make you mine. No one is going to take you after they find out that you are a filthy slut that likes to get fucked like a whore. No one wants damaged goods." Ron hissed into Hermione's ear as he prepared to thrust into her.
Hermione felt like time had stopped and then her body exploded with pain as he slammed her head on the floor at the same time that he brutally pushed into her. She screamed.
"Shut Up you stupid bitch!" Ron roared as he pounded unmercifully into Hermione's frail body. He could feel the tension building up as he got close to climaxing. And then with one final hard thrust he filled her with he seed.
"Stand up you filthy bitch!" Ron screamed at the sobbing figure lying curled in the fetal position on the floor. He started kicking her back trying to get her up, when she screamed and then blacked out. The kicking continued despite the knowledge that she was unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry was walking slowly back to the Slytherin common room when he heard some scream and then another person yelling. He quickened his steps as he rounded the corner that lead to the main corridor that would take you out of the dungeons and back toward the rest of the school hallways. What he saw would stay burned into his memory forever.
Hermione lay curled in a ball on the floor, her pants around her ankles and blood seeping around her on the floor with and out of control Ron kicking the shit out of her.
Harry pulled his wand out of his robes, pointed it at Ron and screamed "Stupefy!" and then watched with satisfaction as Ron fell over cracking his head against the wall. He ran over and scooped Hermione's limp body into his arms and ran back to his father's room. He kicked at the door with all of his might hoping that his Father had not gone to bed yet.
Severus heard someone pounding on his door rather loud and urgently, thinking that it was Dumbledore demanding to know why he had taken Harry and Draco he slowly opened the door. But seeing Harry with a bloody and beaten Hermione he quickly ushered him in.
"Take her in on my bed and lay her down." Severus said pointing to the door to the left. "Where is he?"
He said knowing that Harry knew exactly who he meant.
"In the corridor, stunned. I don't care what you do to him now but I swear to Merlin that I will kill him for this!" Harry said his voice cold and furious. He turned from his father and walked into the bedroom. He gently laid Hermione onto the bed trying to make sure that he didn't aggravate any of her obvious injuries. He had no idea what to do anymore. He had convinced himself that it was better for him to stay away, that she would have been safer. But it hadn't saved her. He knew that he wouldn't leave her side now; he would protect her with his life from now on.