Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: oh God…I am so so SO sorry for not updating…you have two types of people to blame, one would be the stupid wonderful stories that other people wrote, I couldn't keep my eyes off of them long enough to concentrate on my story. Two would be my teachers, they went crazy giving projects and other homework…and okay fine…I do admit that laziness had something to do with it as well…but only a little :P Also, a big thanks to my editor, Nimalka…she's been putting up with me for a bit (sort of) and I am extremely grateful she hasn't chocked me to death (yet…but not that she didn't try) for not working on the story. I really am trying my best to get things done, so please try to put up with me:)
E/N: Nemo (aka THE editor), well just one thing I'd like to correct, since its my job XD , i totally deny the fact that i tried to choke her! i actually succeeded there, so I thought I'd like to point it
out.
yawn ( -- fours hours of sleep here)
sorry about the lateness, hope we haven't lost any of the readers, this'll turn out to be a good story, i promise. If it isn't... blame her..
:D c ya!
A/N:…uhh..yes…thank you for those encouraging…uhhh…words…--ll damn…if she didn't threaten to quit on me…I'd soooo be dissing her right now…but my lovely editor here knows something called blackmailing a little too well…grumbles and goes to sit in corner
Chapter Six (finally)
She was suspended in a sea of darkness, so black, that she could not see her own hands, but she was sure they were there. The occasional spark of pain reminded her of the presence of flesh pasted on her bones. Anxiety and fear rose within her as she realized that she had no recollection of where she was or what she was doing here, only that she had to get out.
Something solid and cool brushed against her lips. Parting them slowly, trickles of bitter and cold liquid burned her tongue and jolted her throat as it slowly and painfully made its way down. She pursed her lips, closing them tightly before anymore of the distasteful substance could reach inside her mouth. She heard someone sigh as the wet liquid dribbled and slid down her chin. Hermione gasped as it dripped down her neck, causing shivers to run up and down her spine. Taking advantage of her opened mouth, strong hands grabbed her jaw and prevented her lips from closing again.
She struggled as hard as she could, trying to wrench herself out of the strong, firm hold, but it was no use. Her hands and feet felt like they were made of iron, so heavy that it was impossible to lift or move. Hermione tried to scream, but no sound came out. Her flesh was burning with piercing pain as the liquid spread through out her body. It was as if her blood cells were quivering within her veins as they swelled and burst one after another, releasing hot acid that burned right through her skin and dissolved her bones. She has to make it stop, struggling as hard as she can, she felt the bonds tighten around her in a painful grip.
'No! I can't die like this, not like this!' Gritting her teeth with determined anger, she focused all her energy on trying to release the bonds on her arms. She felt multiple streams of sweat roll down her forehead as she finally managed to shift her left thumb ever so slightly. It was certainly a good sign, but just not good enough. She tried even harder to move her left arm as the pain worsened.
The next five seconds passed as if it was in slow motion. Her left arm sprang away from her body and made contact something warm and soft as a sudden yelp startled her back into consciousness. There, lying on the ground, not two feet away from her, was the Duke of KingValley, holding his left cheek and grimacing with pain.
Hermione gasped and sat up as fast as she can. Her hands covered her mouth in shock as she watched the Duke lift himself up from the ground, still bluntly rubbing his sore and swelling cheek. 'Oh no…oh no…oh no' Hermione's eyes shifted nervously from left to right. As much as she despised the man, he was still a noble, and physically injuring one could mean more than just simply death. She has heard of the terrible stories of those unfortunate enough to have been angered by a noble, just enough to let their fists fly uncontrollably and without thinking of the terrible consequences. A woman, just last month, accidentally spilled hot milk on her mistress and was dragged outside, stripped, and beaten to death before by-passers on the streets. Of course, ten years after King Dumbledore came into power, these types of actions have been outlawed. Still, no one dared to try and report something like this, fearing that the courts will listen in favor of nobles and not regular commoners.
Hermione's eyes shifted nervously from left to right. She glanced at the door, maybe there was a slight chance that she could—no that would be worse. She watched him fearfully as he leaned in towards the bedside mirror to study the wound that's already turning from red to an ugly purple. He flinched slightly as he prodded testily at the bruise with his fore finger. Hermione's heart was racing faster and faster by the second, she wasn't going to get away with it this time. She could almost hear the fury radiating from his tense body.
Turning, he regarded her with a murderous look, daggers shot from his eyes as each blade made clear to their target. Hermione was sure that she would have been dead, if those shards of metal were real. She could almost see the wheels turning behind his eyes as he thought up the different ways he was going to deal with her. Hermione's imagination began to run wild, maybe he was going to chop off her limbs and keep her, still alive, within a box, feeding her only when necessary. Or maybe, he was going to tie her to a horse and drag her around the streets until she died. Hermione's face paled visibly as each scenario became worse than the prior.
They didn't move for what seemed like hours when finally, the Duke gave an irritated grunt that jerked Hermione out of her reverie.
"I offer my most sincere regret MAID; it seems that trying to poison you wasn't enough to make you keep your hands to yourself. However, if this shall ever happen again in the future, your insignificant little head is going to be the main course on my dinner table." The Duke turned swiftly, his robes swishing around him as he exited the room in quick, long strides. Hermione flinched as he slammed the door behind him, emphasizing the silence that followed.
Hermione closed her eyes in confusion, she tried hard to make sense of what had just happened, but the numerous questions that washed over her were overwhelming. Before she even had time to sort them out, Susan rushed into the room, her eyes searching frantically around. She sighed with relief and relaxed visibly as she spotted Hermione sitting, alive, on the edge of the bed. She walked cautiously towards Hermione and sat down lightly beside her. Still dazed, Hermione regarded Susan with a blank look that made the elder girl frown with worry.
"I saw Milord leaving in a hurry, and he didn't look very happy. I ran in to make sure you were still alive." Her eyes searched Hermione's for any signs of discomfort, "What happened?" Susan touched Hermione's shoulders lightly and immediately drew back when the other girl flinched away from her.
"Hermione, please tell me what happened, I can't help you if you don't tell me." She used her best motherly voice and reached out again. This time, she managed to lay her hands on Hermione's shoulders for a few seconds before Hermione leaned away from her again.
"I'm fine," Hermione managed to choke out. Her throat still burned slightly, and it was almost as if Susan was wearing a red hot iron glove that burned her every time her hand made contact with Hermione's skin.
Susan frowned, and to Hermione's relief, the elder girl decided to drop the subject, "Well you better get ready then, we're leaving in about an hour or two."
"Leaving?" Hermione inquired, her voice cracking.
"Yes, for the Bachelor's Ball remember?" Susan gave her an odd look.
"Oh," Hermione relied quietly.
Worried about her friend, Susan hesitated, "Do you need any help getting ready?"
Hermione smiled at the other girl's motherly tone. "No, I'm fine, really, I just need…need some time to think."
Susan sighed, still a bit unsure, "Alright then, if you need any help, then please call me."
Giving a slight nod, Hermione watched as Susan got up tiredly from the bed and walked to the door. She turned and looked back as her hand reached for the handle, almost as if she was waiting for Hermione to change her mind.
"I'll be alright Susan, I'm fine." Hermione forced a smile. Susan shook her head in an almost disapproving way, she did not want to leave Hermione alone, especially after what happened, but at Hermione's determined tone, she had no choice but the leave. Opening the door, she stepped out and closed the door quietly behind her. Turning, she almost ran head on into Lady Ginny and Hannah, both of whom were running as if their lives depended on it. The three girls staggered and stumbled before Ginny regained her balance and grabbed them before they fell. Hannah peered behind Susan's shoulders and made an attempt to reach the door handle. Grabbing Hannah's arm, Susan waved her hands and shook her head, she dragged the other two confused looking girls back down the hall and to the stairs before she spoke.
"I think we should leave her alone for a while, I doubt she wants to speak to anyone right now." Her voice was firm and final. At the bottom of the stairs, Susan dropped her grip on their arms and watched apologetically as the other two girls rubbed their wrist and glared at her from the corner of their eyes.
"Is she alright?" Hannah asked, looking up.
"I'm not sure, she moved away every time I tried to touch her, but I think that was an after effect from the potion milord gave her." Lady Ginny, at the mention of her uncle, began giggling uncontrollably.
Susan glared at her, "Really milady, I don't think Hermione in pain is that amusing."
Hannah grinned and covered her mouth to stifle her laughs as she looked away from Susan.
"That's it! What is wrong with you two?" Susan huffed indignantly with her hands on her hips, "I demand to know right now."
"I saw my uncle just a few minutes ago," Ginny managed to choke out between laughs, "and he was grumbling and pushing the mediwitch, what was her name? Oh yes, Madame Simon, away from him."
"Madame Simon?" Hannah asked, looking slightly confused, "wasn't she the healer from GriffinHill? I thought she looked familiar, but what is she doing here in Mountain Inn? It's about five hour ride away from her home town."
Susan shrugged, "doesn't matter, maybe she is visiting a friend or something. Anyways, finish your story Ginny."
"You would not believe it, but Uncle Severus had this huge bruise on the side of his face. Aunt McGonagall kept calling him sunshine because of all the colors! He was so mad, his face turned red every time Aunty called him that pet name. Honestly, he looked like an ornament from a Christmas tree!"
Susan snorted and couldn't help smiling at the thought of her master's dark face painted like a rainbow.
"Uncle Severus kept on saying something about 'stupid maids that can't keep their ruddy hands to themselves'" Lady Ginny continued with a grin, "That's why we were running so fast, we wanted to make sure that my uncle hasn't done anything to Hermione."
"I doubt Milord dares," Susan smirked, "I think he knows that the countess will hunt him down and annihilate him if he hurts Hermione in any way."
Lady Ginny giggled, "You're right, when Aunt McGonagall is mad, she makes You-Know-Who look like an Easter bunny."
Hannah snorted "You have no idea how right you are."
Ginny grinned, "I think I do." She gave Hannah a suggestive look that Hannah sent right back at her.
Susan looked at them with raised eyebrows, "I have no idea what's going on so I'm not even going to bother to ask."
Hannah shook her head and frowned slightly, her expression turned from amused to looking worried, "Do you think the Duke is going to…well…you know…"
"What?" Inquired Susan
"Well…make her pay for punching him…like what happened last month to that woman who got –" Before Hannah could finish her sentence, she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as Susan and Ginny plastered innocent looks on their faces.
"As much as I wish to," a voice hissed from behind Hannah, "I will not strip your friend and beat her to death, though the thought is very tempting." Hannah turned and stared straight into Duke Snape's broad chest. "I will simply strangle her to death and enjoy every second of it." Hannah gulped and back away quickly, bumping into Susan and accidentally stepping on Lady Ginny's foot.
"You'll do no such thing Severus Salvador Snape," stated a firm voice. Countess McGonagall stood, with her arms rigidly folded across her chest, at the top of the spiral stairway. Descending slowly, she kept a steady gaze at the Duke, almost daring him to say something else.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that Minerva," Snape's voice had dropped an octave as he watched her with his eyes narrowed. Nevertheless, he extended his hand to her as soon as she was within reach and helped her down the rest of the steps.
"I see you have decided to use a concealing charm, Sunshine, though I have to express my disappointment, you did look dashing with something besides black." The Duke snorted and pointedly refused to answer.
"Hannah, are the things all packed and ready?"
At the mention of her name, Hannah quickly looked up and slightly shook her head, "Almost, milady, there are still the horses that need to be saddled and there are some left over baggages that need to be placed on to the carriages."
McGonagall nodded, "get to it then, Ginny?"
"Yes Aunty?" Her voice became sweet at she looked innocently at the Countess.
McGonagall rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to lecture you Ginny, so you can drop that angelic look. Has Hermione awoken yet?"
Ginny grinned sheepishly before answering, "Yes she has aunty,"
McGonagall nodded approvingly, and shifted her gaze at the duke, eyebrows raised, "I trust you'll see to her recovery Severus?"
Snape snorted, "I'll do no such thing, I brewed the bloody potion and gave it to her, and that, marks the end to our correspondence. Hopefully, I will never have to see that little chit again."
"Really Severus!" the countess said, exasperated, "it was an accident, she did not mean any harm!"
The Duke snorted, "I highly doubt that Minerva."
"If you don't mind my saying uncle," Ginny stated pleasantly, "I would say that the colorful look…suited you."
Turning slightly, Snape glared at the young girl, "As a matter of fact, LADY Ginny," He said, through clinched teeth, emphasizing her status, "I do mind, now run along and play with the rest of your little servant friends."
"Really Severus, must you always be so grumpy? Besides, I think the dear girl has a point." Chuckling at the murderous look she was receiving, she continued, her tone turning serious, "You said so yourself Severus, she is not likely to recover if her condition is not managed properly. I'm asking you as a favor to me Severus, there's not many qualified Potion Masters that could help her, and you're the only one I could trust her with. Please Severus, she is in this condition because of me, that spell was meant for me! Please…help her."
At her pleading look, Snape sighed and nodded, looking as if a bushel of sour lemons had been forced down his throat. "I'll do it, but only at your request Minerva."
A/N: sorry, wanted to write more…but I'm having a writers' block…anyways…please leave a review to tell me what you think!
E/N (Nemo) : BAH HUMBUG! What a corny excuse, atleast come up with something more believable…..
good stuff….your writing style's improving….the only thing you need to work on are your excuses
: P
A/N: My oh so pleasant editor did not exactly intent for that part to be posted up also, she wrote it after she read over my chapter…I just wanted to put it up to show people how mean she is to me…sniff WWAAAAAAAHHHHHH! runs back to corner and cries comes back a second later PLEASE REVIEW:D:D:D:D:D:D