A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews- 96 of them! Can we make it to 100 (or over!) this time…*prods at readers gently* I love your feedback, it makes it worthwhile. Thanks to my beta, Angel for checking this out for me and helping progress my ideas. Plus the thing with Severus not tying him up- it's kinda sorted here. Thanks for pointing that out. *Smacks self on head* Anyway, if you like this chapter, please review!
11. Pain and Truth
Severus quickened his steps through the grass, which was laden with dawn's dew. The early morning air was chilly and he knew, even underneath the thick black robes, her pale and fragile body would be freezing. Unconsciously, he drew her closer to his body, hoping to share some of his body heat with her.
When he at first reached the entrance to Hogwarts, he was oblivious to the fact that breakfast was starting and many hungry students were traipsing down the stairs.
Their sleepy eyes woke with a start at the sight before them. Their Potions Master, the formidable Professor Snape was carrying, yes carrying, a student across the Entrance Hall. Not just any student. A girl. Hermione Granger, seventh-year Gryffindor, to be exact.
They didn't fail to notice the way he was carrying her either. Hermione was pulled tightly to him, as though she was precious, breakable. As though he cared about her.
Every student watching dismissed that thought immediately- Professor Snape, caring about somebody? It'd be more believable to call Hagrid dainty. Still, their curiosity was peaked and they watched the Slytherin for a sign as to what called for this peculiar behaviour.
He noticed an Auror that he wasn't familiar with, watching him curiously from the foot of the stairs. He quickly spoke to him, impatient to take care of Hermione.
"You'll find him in the Shrieking Shack. He's Stupefied, powerfully. No chance of him waking for a good hour. I suggest you hurry."
The thin, blonde man stared blankly at him. "But who…?"
"You will find out soon enough! You expect me to blurt it out in a corridor full of students? Go!"
The Auror didn't move for a second, but then suddenly darted out of the hall. As Snape turned, Shacklebolt and Tonks came running out and raced out of the doors.
Snape hurried up the stairs, his eyes focused directly ahead of him, ignoring the disbelieving and questioning eyes. His attention was finally caught by a shrieking voice behind him.
"Severus!
He did not cease or even slow his long paces, and continued down the hall, weaving his way through the staring students.
"Severus! Stop! Stop this instant!"
Severus turned to the right and started up a long, winding staircase, his black eyes flashing quickly to Hermione's peaceful, but drained face. McGonagall raced, or attempted to, after him.
"Where are you going? I need to see her! Stop!"
He finally reached the hospital wing, with the elder witch close behind him, breathing heavily. Minerva McGonagall glowered at him as she approached.
Shifting Hermione slightly, Severus reached for the door handle and pushed inwards. McGonagall grabbed his arm.
"I told you to stop."
"I have, so kindly wait until you are needed," he replied tersely. He shook his arm free easily and stepped inside, closing the door very neatly in the Gryffindor's face.
Minerva McGonagall stared in silence and fury at the closed door.
Severus crossed the hospital wing, looking for a place to put Hermione. Gently, he laid her down on one of the perfectly white beds, the sun from a nearby window spilling on her face. He watched her quiet breathing for a moment. Out of nowhere, he felt an urge to sweep the hair out of her face, away from her eyes. As he looked down at her, he had a passing thought, that it should be a crime for such beautiful, dark, rich eyes to be obscured by eyelids.
"Professor Snape?"
Startled at both being caught and at the shrill voice, he whirled around, guiltily.
Madam Pomfrey looked back at him searchingly. Her eyes widened at the tear in his trouser leg and the dried blood around it.
"Oh, Merlin. I thought this would all have ended by now. If it's not three-headed dogs, its Death-Eater gatherings."
She sighed.
"I suppose we'd better get you cleaned up. Let me just find those bandages…"
She walked towards a tall cupboard on the other side of the room.
Severus called her back. "It is she, not I who needs attention."
Pomfrey turned back to him, in obvious confusion. "She? There's no-one else here, Professor."
Severus glared at her. Was she blind? Then he realised that he had hidden Hermione from sight by standing at the foot of her bed. Hurriedly, he steeped aside.
Madam Pomfrey stared at her drawn features. She made her way to the side of the bed and preparing to take off the cold and slightly damp robes, gasped at finding she was wearing nothing underneath.
"Oh, the poor child! What on earth happened?" He eyes turned accusing. "What did you do?"
Severus was offended, and made no show of hiding it.
"I did nothing! How dare you insinuate-"
He was quickly cut off as the door to the hospital wing swung open and a very red-faced witch slammed into the room. McGonagall looked infuriated.
"Severus! I won't stand for this anymore! She is in my house and you will consider her as such! I will have no more of your ridiculous disregard of my authority here, and if you insist on causing me more annoyance, I shall simply ask the Headmaster to-"
"Yes, Minerva?"
Professor McGonagall reeled round at the quiet voice.
"Headmaster!" The voice was Pomfrey's, not McGonagall's. "I will have no more of this, this childish bickering! I have sick students here and I will not have them disturbed!"
This time it was Severus's eyes, which blazed and turned on the medi-witch.
"What do you know of this?" he demanded. "Nothing!"
"Severus!" Dumbledore's voice quietly admonished. "If you would be so polite to wait outside. I would like to talk to Minerva for a few moments, before you recount the whole story to me yourself."
Severus scowled but left the room, in a flurry of black robes. The second the door clicked behind him, two faces, almost level with his own, stared back at him.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley managed to look deadly serious whilst obviously still knee-deep in confusion.
It was Ron who spoke first, impulsively, and, he noticed, gripping his wand tightly with his right hand.
"What were you doing with her?"
"Five points for speaking in such an accusative tone to a teacher, and what ever are you talking about Mr. Weasley?"
"Half the school saw you! What do you think we're talking about?" answered Harry this time, defiantly ignoring Snape's sneer.
"If you're enquiring to the incident with Hermione Granger, than know she is safe and that the rest is not your business unless she decides to tell you."
With that said, he attempted to sweep menacingly down the hallway towards a pair of curious third year Hufflepuffs.
Ron's voice, more magnified by anger than magic, bellowed after him.
"What did you do to her?"
Severus froze. Shooting a foreboding look at the Hufflepuffs, he slowly turned and made his way towards the teenage wizard. He leant down so that his nose was almost touching his.
"Believe me when I tell you that you will find out enough…and you'll wish you hadn't."
His words washed over Ron like a cold breath. The boy was silenced when he saw what lay in his Potion Master's eyes. Sympathy from Severus Snape could only mean something terrible.
"Go to your Common Room. Wait for word to be sent to you to see her. And do not encourage rumours," he finished, glaring at Harry.
"Severus?" Dumbledore emerged from the hospital room. He did not question his actions with the teenagers, simply acknowledged them, as though he knew what had already happened.
"If you would like to lead the way to my office?" the Headmaster requested.
Severus began walking in the direction Dumbledore had gestured in.
Surprisingly, rather than going to Harry as they would have expected, Dumbledore lay a hand gently on Ron's shoulder. "Do not question yourself. What runs in his blood, does not run in yours. You have nothing to bear."
Ron stared up at the headmaster, puzzled. "Whose blood?"
The light in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed a little. He didn't say anything else, but simply nodded to Harry, who looked just as perplexed. He took off after Severus, without looking back.
The two teenagers were left, baffled. The both turned to the door as it opened and their Head of House walked slowly out, an appalled expression written all over her pale face.
When she saw Ron, it fell even further. Ron was astonished when she gave him a stiff pat on the head and the pulled him into an even more rigid hug.
"Eh?" Was the only sound he could muster. McGonagall said no more and left them.
Ron snapped. "What the hell is going on? First Snape being…sympathetic! Then Dumbledore's giving me cryptic advice, and now McGonagall's giving me hugs?"
Harry was just as confused. "Well, if it's that big of a thing, I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."
Ron was still unsatisfied, but allowed Harry to lead him back to the tower.
When Hermione awoke that night, she felt groggy and her head weighed a ton. She felt warmth around one of her hands, as though someone had enveloped it with their own. She struggled vainly to pull herself up and found that when she tried to speak, her throat constricted her. She began to cough.
"Here, drink this," a voice instructed her. "It'll help you feel better."
Obediently, Hermione parted her lips and allowed the speaker to lift the glass to them, letting the ice-cold liquid slip down her throat.
"Thank you," she croaked before slipping down onto the pillows again. Her head was swimming and her forehead felt hot and clammy.
"I don't feel so good…"
"Just close your eyes," the voice soothed. "You have a fever and you need to rest."
Suddenly, Hermione recognised the voice. "Professor Snape?" she asked. The hand clutching her own tensed. Her ailing body unwilling to co-operate with her desire to look at him, to see if he was really there, forced her to close her eyes and drift into slumber.
Two days later, Hermione woke with her head feeling clear and refreshed. Her fever, Madam Pomfrey announced, was gone without a trace and she could get up if she wished. She also had visitors.
"Hermione!" a pair of arms encircled her tightly.
Slightly worried about suffocation, Hermione tried to speak.
"Ron, please…get…off me," her voice was muffled against his jumper. Finally he let go, and studied her concernedly. She rubbed her arm with one hand and he stared aghast at the long purple bruise that stained her skin.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I'd hurt you…Oh Gods, Hermione…what happened to you?"
Harry's expression agreed, but silently, he gave her a hug that was a little gentler. Hermione bit her lip.
"Harry…would you mind...?" She nodded towards the door.
If Harry was hurt, or put out by her request, he didn't show it. He did what she asked, but cast a curious look back at the two of them as he exited the room.
Ron sat down by her feet.
"What happened?" He asked softly, staring into his best friend's dark, troubled eyes. He wasn't trying to earn brownie points to make more-than-friends status now, he was hugely worried for her, and was desperate to know what she had gone through.
Hermione's eyes were directed downwards. She took a breath.
"When I left The Three Broomsticks…I saw someone I hadn't expected to. He…he took me to the Shrieking Shack where he…"
She paused for a second, trying to think how to explain Charlie's punishment to Ron. Ron however, took it completely the wrong way.
"Oh Gods…he," his mouth was open in horror. "The bastard! And that…" He trailed off, staring at her bruise. "Oh…Hermione."
"He gave me that bruise, yes. But he didn't…touch me. At least, not like that."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure."
"Well…what did he do?"
"He locked me up," she let out a sarcastic laugh. "In a cage. Used a couple of curses on me. That's how I got the bruise. He said that to…rape me…would be worthless to what he finally had in store for me."
Her voice became slightly choked. "He knew, Ron. He knew my biggest fear. It's not being raped, or even cursed."
Tears, blurring her sight ran down her cheeks. "He was going to take it all away. Everything I've worked for, this life, everything, making me hollow." She stifled a sob. "He was going to leave me emotionless, unfeeling. Without a hope in the world. But he meant for me to live with misery, not die of it."
Looking ashamed of her breakdown, she brought her hands up to her face, trying to wipe away the flowing tears. Ron took them away and held them in his own.
"It's okay to cry," he consoled her softly.
She lifted her glistening eyes to his anxious ones.
"Please don't say that," she whispered.
"Why not?" he answered, frowning.
"Because it makes me more afraid to tell you."
He leaned closer to her, tightly holding her hands with his own. "You don't need to be afraid now."
She shook her head sadly. "It's you I'm afraid for."
He gripped her hands a little less strongly. "Why?" he asked.
"Ron. The man who kidnapped me…he…oh, Ron, it was…"
Ron's fury interrupted her. "I knew it! I'm going to kill Snape! That evil, stinking traitor! And Dumbledore still trusts him!" He yelled, incredulously. Hermione laid her hand on his arm and shook her head slowly, staring at him in consternation.
"No, Ron. It…it was…"
Her next word came out as little more than a breath.
"Charlie."