Twenty-two days, seven hours, sixteen minutes. Gods, my bloody internal clock is annoying. As though it isn't bad enough being here, my subconscious has to tick off every minute of it. Looks like I'm awake before the rest of the…house? Not sure…should ask Snape where I am, exactly. Ah, footsteps approach. Time for another fun game of 'Hermione the Pinata.' Starring Hermione Granger as 'The Pinata' and Dayrin Lestrange as 'The Bat-Wielding Demonic Kid.'
Snape walked through the door. Hermione's eyes narrowed as she calculated the ramifications of his presence, but she remained silent when he didn't close the door behind him. Snape gave a mental sigh of relief that she'd caught the reference. He walked over and stood against a wall.
Hermione kept her gaze on the door and braced herself when she saw Voldemort enter, flanked by Dayrin Lestrange and Bellatrix Lestrange.
"You've proven yourself strong, but not stronger than myself," said Voldemort coldly. "You have one last chance: where is Dumbledore hiding Harry Potter? What is his plan to defeat me?"
"No clue," she replied resolutely. And the end comes back to the beginning. We've been this route before, I think.
"Fine," Voldemort replied, fixing his red gaze on her. "My loyal follower Snape has developed a potion that will work quite nicely then." Snape? No! He's helping me! Not betraying me! The play of emotions that ran across her face before she could squelch them made Voldemort smile.
"Did you really think he was your friend? Hardly. He is my loyal Deatheater. And now he will be the instrument of your undoing. Take her, Severus, she is yours." Snape smiled evilly and knelt.
"Thank you, my Lord. I shall serve you well."
"I know," replied Voldemort. He turned and left. "Dayrin, leave her! She is yours no longer." Dayrin Lestrange gave her one last longing look and left.
Snape waited for a moment, then came and unchained her, wrapping her in a cloak.
"Do I need to carry you, Hermione?"
"No, just help me," she replied softly. It's a ploy. He's getting me out of here! I knew he'd manage it eventually.
Snape looped an arm around her and slung one of her arms around his shoulders, then shifted, bringing her weight on to him. They proceeded slowly up a set of stairs, into an empty hallway. Severus wrapped his arms around Hermione, took a breath, and disapparated.
They apparated outside a large manor. Snape allowed her to shift into a comfortable position, then smiled slightly at her.
"Welcome to Snape Manor." He helped her inside, then gave short orders to a house-elf with a gentle expression and a quiet demeanor. Hermione looked around, absorbing her surroundings. Nice digs. Large, airy, nicely decorated…not all cluttered and baroque. Even his house-elf seems like a pro.
Snape half carried her up a set of stairs and into a bedroom, where pajamas were laid out on a large bed with a down comforter and sky blue sheets. Hermione smiled at the soft colors and airy set up of the room and noted the trouble he'd gone to for her. The pajamas were a nice touch. Hold on just one minute…those pajamas look familiar…Wait! They're MY pajamas! He got me my pajamas! He set her down on an armchair facing outside onto the spacious grounds, then disappeared into another room. Hermione heard water running and allowed herself to relax. She noticed a bundle of letters on the bed and smiled. He had everyone write me. Gods, a bath sounds nice.
Snape came out of what Hermione now assumed was the bathroom and looked at her. "Are you up for a bath, Hermione? I'm having Silla prepare food for you. I would do it myself, but I cannot be everywhere at once." She smiled at him.
"A bath sounds wonderful, and so does food, and I do not expect you to cook for me. You're doing enough as it is."
"Not nearly enough as you deserve, Miss Granger," he replied calmly. "Do you need help into the bathroom?"
"Yeah. I don't know if I have the coordination left to unfasten my jeans." She hauled herself up, favoring her right leg, and suddenly remembered something. As Snape moved to slide an arm around her waist, she stopped him, faced him with both hands on his shoulders for support and looked him in the eyes.
"Thank you, sir. I don't know if I've said it before, but I'm saying it now. Thank you. I might not have made it if I didn't know you'd be there every night to help me." She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He froze for a moment, realizing that someone was hugging him just to hug him, for the first time in a long while. Severus and Hermione hugged for several minutes, then he murmured gently in her ear, "You're not getting any better smelling, Hermione."
She pulled back, shocked, then started laughing. "You're right. Let's go." Sense of humor. Shocks me every time..
Ten minutes later, she was relaxing in a bubble bath, letting the knots in her muscles relax, frowning at the stiffness in her right knee. Dayrin had blown the kneecap three times and she was beginning to worry. What if it's permanently damaged? She sipped from a well-deserved glass of white wine Snape had provided silently. You survived almost a month in captivity, Mya. You deserve major credit for that. Half an hour later, she was starting to doze. Snape knocked lightly at the door.
"The water is quite likely starting to get cold, Miss Granger, which is hardly good for your health. And lunch is ready." Hermione smiled. Beats the bread and water diet I had going. Although the lunches Draco smuggled in were always nice…I'll probably never eat a ham sandwich again, though.
She climbed out of the bathtub, turned on the shower, washed her hair and rinsed her body, and stepped out. A big fluffy white bathrobe and clean underwear awaited her. Hermione dried herself and put on the undies, then pulled on the robe, tightened the belt, and put on the matching white slippers. She tugged a comb through her hair and wrapped it in a towel, then walked out.
Snape was setting up lunch on the small table against the window. He had two place settings and was lifting the lid off a platter.
"Are ham sandwiches acceptable?" She stared at him and he began to laugh. "I'm sorry, Miss Granger, I couldn't resist. We're having grilled breast of chicken with garlic and rosemary, some rice, and baked potatoes. Try not to eat too much, your stomach may not be able to handle it." A feast! Yum! Is it possible to be any hungrier than I am?
"Better be careful, Professor. Soon the rumours I plan to spread will include bits about you having a sense of humour. A somewhat twisted sense of humour, but a sense of humour nonetheless!" Full of surprises, our Professor Snape is.
She sat across from him and smiled. "Real food, amazing."
"Well, don't tell Madam Pomfrey. She'd insist that it's too spicy for your delicate constitution. Having seen you eat the food Draco brought, I'm sure you can handle this. Oh, incidentally, I burned your clothes. I did not think you would mind." He handed her the switchblade and she met his eyes for a moment, then took it and tossed it on the bed. They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Snape set down his fork and fixed his gaze on her.
"Miss Granger, who is your legal guardian?" he asked directly.
Oh. Hell. This is going to be messy.