Disclaimer: Not mine, never was, never shall be. Unless....::ponders murder::...uh...you didn't see that!
A/N: Again, thanks to the wonderful Alison for beta-ing this.
Somewhere safe turned to be 12 Grimmauld Place. Severus apparated outside onto the street, not particularly caring if any muggles saw him. He couldn't do so inside the building, they had anti-apparition wards and the like to protect them. Though, it usually turned out to be more of a nuisance than a help.
As the house pushed itself back onto the street, Severus walked towards the front door, taking firm strides and holding Hermione close to himself. He entered the house and found it seemingly empty. The front hall was quiet, a nice change from the usual screaming of the portrait of Mrs. Black.
He made a sharp left through an oak door, which lead into the study. There was a comfortable leather couch next to the fire that Severus was well acquainted with; he had accidentally fallen asleep there many times while reading. He gently laid Hermione down on it, taking care to rest her head on a pillow.
Making sure she wasn't about to go anywhere, he left the study and went into the kitchen in search of the medicinal potions supply he usually kept there in case of emergencies. Severus scanned the room carefully, but did not see the trunk anywhere. Blast Molly and her cleaning!
Severus started to rummage around in some of the cupboards, pushing various cutlery and kitchenware out of the way. It took him a few minutes, which was entirely too long in his opinion, but he finally found what he was looking for. He dragged the trunk over to the kitchen table and started pulling out various potions. He frowned down into the trunk. There wasn't as much as he thought there was.
Taking the potions with him, he went back into the study. Hermione was where he had left her, either asleep or unconscious, Severus couldn't tell. He wanted to get her to Poppy, but that would have to wait. He needed to speak to Dumbledore first.
But until then, he would have to make due with what he had. Lifting Hermione's head up, he tilted the first of many potions to her lips. She drank unknowingly; Severus stroked her throat to make sure the liquid went through.
After a few more potions, her wounds were healed for the most part. There were a few internal ones that he couldn't fix at the moment, but she would survive. Now, he had to figure out what was wrong with her senses.
From what he could figure out, Hermione couldn't speak, see, hear, or feel after she had been with Mulciber. Now, that in itself didn't make sense. There would have to be a potion for this kind of effect to occur and Mulciber couldn't brew a potion worth shit.
So someone must have given him the potion. But who?
Pushing such unhelpful questions out of his mind, Severus went back to the problem at hand. Hermione. He had with him a potion that restored hearing, as many curses had after-effects that caused hearing loss.
He glanced warily at the potion, not sure if it would be a good idea to use it. He didn't want to cause a reaction with any other potions in her system. It was unlikely, but possible.
But either way, Severus had to make a decision soon. He sighed inwardly. Why was it always him?
Alright, so maybe it wasn't always him. But it sure seemed like it sometimes.
Severus had had enough of this internal debate. He uncorked the vial, brought it to Hermione's lips, and wished for the best.
He waited tentatively as the potion took effect. "Miss Granger?" he asked.
Hermione jerked slightly, trying to discern where the sound was coming from. Her lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. Her eyes, which were a watery brown color, were unseeing.
Her breath, which now came in short gasps, was decidedly panicked.
"Miss Granger, relax. It's Professor Snape. Remember?" He tried to calm her, though he obviously wasn't very good at it. He was going for a soothing voice, but what had come out instead was more of a less than harsh command.
She nodded sullenly a few times, though a look of confusion seemed to be permanently plastered to her delicate features.
Severus wasn't quite sure what was going through her head, but then again, that wasn't his concern.
"You're at headquarters. Something's been done to you. I have to go and brew some antidotes. Mulciber gave you something?" said Severus, straight to the point.
Hermione looked like she was thinking hard. Severus recognized that look from his classes. Then Hermione nodded and shrugged.
Well what was that supposed to mean? "Yes?" Severus asked again, trying to get a definite answer.
The girl shrugged. "You don't know then?" he confirmed. Hermione nodded slightly, her matted hair falling into her face.
Severus straightened and stood. "I'll be in the lab downstairs. I suggest you sleep and don't move. I doubt you'd get far." he instructed.
Hermione complied and curled up into a more comfortable position on the couch. Severus frowned at her back. She didn't look well at all.
Appeased for the moment, Severus turned and made his way into the basement to make the necessary potions.
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Hermione lifted her head as she was awoken by the sounds of others outside the hallway. It was muffled, and the people making it were obviously trying to be quiet, as not to arouse Mrs. Black from her 'slumber'.
"Severus must be here, that's his cloak," said a voice outside the door. It was decidedly feminine, which led Hermione to believe it was either Mrs. Weasley or perhaps Ms. Vance, whom she had the pleasure of meeting a while back.
"One moment, let me just move this out of here. There's an infestation, and I don't want anything to get at it." The voice got louder, assumedly because the person was coming nearer.
The handle of the door rattled, and Hermione felt herself grow a bit scared. She didn't want to have to deal with any of these people. She sat up a bit, leaning on the armrest. She could feel the couch there, but she would be at a loss to tell you if it were smooth or rough, warm, or cool. It was an odd to have such a thing that she normally took for granted just disappear.
Someone thumped into the room and then stopped abruptly. She heard an intake of breath, and then the accusation, "Hermione? What on earth are you doing here?"
Hermione had no doubt that it was Mrs. Weasley by this point. She could practically see Mrs. Weasely putting her hands on her hips and she said, "Well speak up then." She had seen her do it the boys often enough.
But that was when everything was still alright.
Unconsciously, Hermione licked her dry lips. Damn whatever curse. How could she communicate to Mrs. Weasley that she couldn't speak?
"Hermione, I want an explanation right now. You aren't supposed to be here." A tone of annoyance crept into Mrs. Weasley's voice.
Hermione made a gesture to her mouth, or at least she tried to. Her mouth was about three inches down from the spot where her hand collided with her eye.
Mrs Weasley gave her a confused look, but didn't think upon it any more as Moody came into the room. "Molly, what's taking you so long?" he said gruffly. "The others were concerned."
"Oh, what's this here?" Moody peered at Hermione with both of his eyes. "Miss Granger, isn't it? I thought she had been expelled."
"She was Moody." Mrs Weasley confirmed. "I can't figure out for the life of me, why she's here."
"You've asked?" Moody inquired, as if Hermione wasn't even in the room.
"She refused to talk to me. I haven't gotten a word out of her." Mrs Weasley said in a rather irritated voice.
"Well then. Look here miss, there's no place for you here. I've heard all about what's happened, straight from Dumbledore himself." Moody said, turning his attention to Hermione.
Hermione tried to angle her head in the direction that Moody's voice was coming from, but it was exceedingly difficult. "Can't even look me in the eyes, eh? Disgraceful." he growled. "Now come clean, what're you doing here?" Moody seemed to be slipping into 'Auror Interrogator Mode'.
Hermione winced visibly from his words and opened her mouth, but no words would come out.
Moody grunted and frowned in Hermione's direction. "I think we need to bring her into everyone else." Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Alright then, c'mon you." Moody ordered.
Hermione didn't move for several reasons, one being that she couldn't see, and another that she didn't trust herself on her legs.
Grabbing her arm, Moody hauled her up onto her feet, which wobbled under her weight. She tried to wrench out of his grasp and sit back down on the couch, but he had a firm grip.
"Now go." Moody said, letting go of her arm and pushing slightly forward on her shoulder.
Hermione took a halting step forward before her knees gave out and she crashed onto the floor. "Oh bloody hell," muttered Moody as he made to collect her off of the ground.
She swatted his hand away, getting onto her hands and knees. Tears gathered in her eyes.
The door opened and a few people came through. Remus Lupin; who was now living at Grimmauld Place, Mr. Weasley, Professor McGonagall, and last but not least, Professor Snape.
Snape surveyed the scene before him with his dark eyes. "What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" he asked, glaring at Moody who was still trying to get Hermione up.
"None of your concern, Snape." Moody said with irritation.
"I daresay it is my concern." Severus said disdainfully. "I suggest you let go of her."
Moody stood up, fixing Snape with a inquisitive look. "Or what'll happen?"
Severus sneered at him. "I honestly don't have time for this. I have 5 different potions going on downstairs which can't be left alone."
"Leave then. This isn't your business." Moody said gruffly. Severus merely fixed him with a glare that clearly meant 'Who are you to tell me so?'
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "What I'd like to know, is what is Miss Granger doing here in the first place?"
There was a moment in which no one spoke, as no one knew the answer. Except Severus of course. "I brought her here, Minerva."
"You did?" McGonagall asked incredulously. "But why?"
Severus pushed Mrs. Weasley out of his way and helped Hermione up onto the couch again. "Because I thought she'd be safe and welcome here. I obviously was mistaken." he frowned.
"What are you talking about Snape?" Moody glared.
"She's innocent. Her condition, as it were, is the byproduct of one Victor Krum, now deceased." Snape replied.
Hermione kept her head down, her hair covering her face. Snape glanced at her and his frown deepened a bit. He took his cloak from Mrs. Weasley, who still had it in her arms, and draped it around Hermione's shoulders.
"How does that make her innocent? She was seeing him." Professor McGonagall protested.
"Do I have to spell it out for you? She was at the revel tonight. Krum dragged her there. I have no doubt that there was rape involved." Severus spat.
His revelation was greeted by silence by the bystanders. "I found her drugged and beaten almost to death. As it is, she does not have the ability to speak, see, or feel. I suggest in the future you try not to be so hasty in your judgments."
Severus turned his back on them, facing Hermione. Leaning down, he picked Hermione up as carefully as he could. He wasn't a strong man by far, but Hermione was so light that she wasn't hard to lift.
He made towards the door, the group parting to grant him passage.
"Where are you going?" Lupin asked.
"Somewhere else. I fail to see how it is any concern of yours." Severus replied, not turning around to face him. He made to open the door but Lupin put his hand onto it, effectively causing it to remain shut.
"Why are you doing this?" Lupin asked quietly.
"Because no one else will." Severus said, pushing Lupin's hand aside and leaving a stunned group of people in his wake.
A/N: I lurve you all so much! Wow...you guys (and girls, and oddly enough, ducks) are all magnificent!
I'm sure you all hate me. Or love me. Perhaps both?
R/R
