It was late, too late. She had never gotten there and she wasn't at her
apartment, he had checked. He was worried. 'What if something happened to
her, what if she's lost or hurt without her wand. I have to find her,' he
thought. Severus left a note saying he went to look for her in case she got
there and left. He cast a locating charm and soon came to a dark alleyway
and could hear soft crying.
He ran to the shuddering huddled ball that had been Hermione. He brushed back her hair, now undone, only to stare into a pair of listless eyes. He knew what had happened, he had seen it before. 'Wait until I find whoever did this to you,' he thought. If only he knew how close by the culprit was, watching, thinking he had won, and then walking away. Severus slowly lifted Hermione up, careful not to hurt her any more than she had already been. "Shhh," he said softly, "I'm here now. Now no one can touch you. You're safe. Just remember, I love you, I'll always love you." With these final words she looked at him with life returning to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and cried herself to sleep. He apparated back to his house and went to his bedroom. He laid her on his bed and washed her face off with a cool cloth. He then cleaned her cuts, tied back her hair, and pulled the blankets over her. Severus didn't sleep a wink that night; all he did was sit and watch the fitful rest of his love.
In the morning, Hermione woke and the night before rushed back to her. She saw Severus and the tears started rolling down her cheeks as she looked at him for a reason. "Why," she cried, "why didn't you tell me he was here? Why? Why did he do this?" "Who did this? Who was here?" Severus asked, trying to stay calm. "Him, M-Malfroy. He said you were his. He said you wouldn't love me anymore. Do you?" "I will love you forever. He can't change that, no one can." Severus replied. "But he said that... and just, oh," she burst into tears. "Malfroy is a bastard. He will get what is coming to him as soon as I find him. Jail is too good for him." "Don't touch him," she whimpered, "you'll go to jail. As long as he is not near us, I don't care where he is.'' "I promise, he'll go to jail and never touch you again."
"Severus, I need to shower. I still can feel him on me. I need to be clean." He brought her to the large bathroom and started the water for her. He was about to leave when she said, "Wait, please, I don't want to be alone anymore. Don't leave me here alone." He just returned and sat back down. She undressed and he could more bruising and cuts. She would definitely need a doctor. Hermione got into the shower and just sat there crying letting the hot water wash away the grime and bad memories. When she got out Severus helped her to dry off and go back to the freshly made bed. (The house elves understood when help was needed.) Once in bed he asked about a doctor. "No! I don't want anyone to touch me but you," she quickly replied. "What about Madame Pomfrey? She'll understand." Hermione relented and Madame Pomfrey, once owled, reached there by flue within hours.
After the examination, Madame Pomfrey took Severus aside. "This is despicable," she said, "She will be fine in a few days with the medicine I'll leave you, her arm was slightly fractured and she needed a few stitches for the cut over her eye. There is mostly severe bruising. I think that the worst part is the trauma." She then gave him care instructions and turned to go. "Oh, and Severus, I trust that you will find the man that did this." She then left.
Severus took care of Hermione, diligently following Madame Pomfrey's instructions. With his gentle care, Hermione was better within a few days. Physically better at least. She spent her days crying and sleeping, she went though activities in a daze. After several weeks, she finally began acting more lifelike, doing daily activities while actually paying attention, not just running through the motions. One night, Hermione decided something. She couldn't stand it that Draco had ever touched her, and didn't want to keep living with the knowledge that he had been the last person she had been with. She wanted to be with someone else, need to be with someone else. Not just anyone, but with some who actually cared for her and she cared for back.
He ran to the shuddering huddled ball that had been Hermione. He brushed back her hair, now undone, only to stare into a pair of listless eyes. He knew what had happened, he had seen it before. 'Wait until I find whoever did this to you,' he thought. If only he knew how close by the culprit was, watching, thinking he had won, and then walking away. Severus slowly lifted Hermione up, careful not to hurt her any more than she had already been. "Shhh," he said softly, "I'm here now. Now no one can touch you. You're safe. Just remember, I love you, I'll always love you." With these final words she looked at him with life returning to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and cried herself to sleep. He apparated back to his house and went to his bedroom. He laid her on his bed and washed her face off with a cool cloth. He then cleaned her cuts, tied back her hair, and pulled the blankets over her. Severus didn't sleep a wink that night; all he did was sit and watch the fitful rest of his love.
In the morning, Hermione woke and the night before rushed back to her. She saw Severus and the tears started rolling down her cheeks as she looked at him for a reason. "Why," she cried, "why didn't you tell me he was here? Why? Why did he do this?" "Who did this? Who was here?" Severus asked, trying to stay calm. "Him, M-Malfroy. He said you were his. He said you wouldn't love me anymore. Do you?" "I will love you forever. He can't change that, no one can." Severus replied. "But he said that... and just, oh," she burst into tears. "Malfroy is a bastard. He will get what is coming to him as soon as I find him. Jail is too good for him." "Don't touch him," she whimpered, "you'll go to jail. As long as he is not near us, I don't care where he is.'' "I promise, he'll go to jail and never touch you again."
"Severus, I need to shower. I still can feel him on me. I need to be clean." He brought her to the large bathroom and started the water for her. He was about to leave when she said, "Wait, please, I don't want to be alone anymore. Don't leave me here alone." He just returned and sat back down. She undressed and he could more bruising and cuts. She would definitely need a doctor. Hermione got into the shower and just sat there crying letting the hot water wash away the grime and bad memories. When she got out Severus helped her to dry off and go back to the freshly made bed. (The house elves understood when help was needed.) Once in bed he asked about a doctor. "No! I don't want anyone to touch me but you," she quickly replied. "What about Madame Pomfrey? She'll understand." Hermione relented and Madame Pomfrey, once owled, reached there by flue within hours.
After the examination, Madame Pomfrey took Severus aside. "This is despicable," she said, "She will be fine in a few days with the medicine I'll leave you, her arm was slightly fractured and she needed a few stitches for the cut over her eye. There is mostly severe bruising. I think that the worst part is the trauma." She then gave him care instructions and turned to go. "Oh, and Severus, I trust that you will find the man that did this." She then left.
Severus took care of Hermione, diligently following Madame Pomfrey's instructions. With his gentle care, Hermione was better within a few days. Physically better at least. She spent her days crying and sleeping, she went though activities in a daze. After several weeks, she finally began acting more lifelike, doing daily activities while actually paying attention, not just running through the motions. One night, Hermione decided something. She couldn't stand it that Draco had ever touched her, and didn't want to keep living with the knowledge that he had been the last person she had been with. She wanted to be with someone else, need to be with someone else. Not just anyone, but with some who actually cared for her and she cared for back.