Snape paced back and forth on the cold hard dungeon floor, his fifth year class sat silently shivering their breath forming small clouds of fog. Hermione sat waiting with the rest of the class for Snape to begin the lesson.
"Can anyone tell me what the potion Dronus is ued for?"
Without even looking up he said "Yes Hermione" while rolling his eyes. The entire class turned to look at her but noticed that she didn't have her hand up.
"Sir she doesn't have her hand up" Seamus said boldly
"Quiet Mr. Finnigan. Well well well Miss Know-it-all doesn't seem to know the answer for once"
Snape leered at her, she was pale and stared straight at him not a single bit of emotion seemed to be shown on her face. Snape for a second looked surprised but before anyone could notice he put his sarcastic smile back upon his face.
"For your information Miss Granger Dronus is a potion which is often used by the darkest of wizards. It is a potion which if drunk freezes the body, though the mind remains fully awake and conscious. It is used in such acts as torture, kidnapping and rape."
Hermione gasped and before anyone could stop her she ran out of the dungeon.
"Where are you going you stupid girl?" Snape yelled after her. He faced the class.
"Draco you're in charge, I'll be back soon. If anybody does anything wrong you'll be in detention for a month."
Hermione staggered out of the front doors and hurtled into the snow as far away as she could get from the castle. She let out an anguished cry, she couldn't control this anymore she wanted an end to the pain. Why did it have to happen? She didn't deserve for her virginity to be ripped from her by a deatheater. Tears welled in front of her eyes as she remembered the day the he Lucius Malfoy had tricked her into taking the Dronus potion. She remembered the humiliation of him ripping off her robe, tracing his hands over her naked body and raping her over and over again. After the attack he had warned her that if she told anyone he would kill her parents.
So often she had looked into those cold hard eyes of Snape, sensing warmth and wishing she could tell, but again and again he told her that she was a know-it-all how she was stupid how she was ugly.
"He's right" she told herself quietly. "HE'S RIGHT" she screamed
She couldn't think anymore, she wanted it all to end now! She placed a hand into the pocket of her robe and grabbed a small knife. She lifted her arm and glanced down it to see those scars which she had been creating ever since the rape. She pulled her knife and pulled it down again and again, viciously with anger at herself. Slowly the snow around her became splashed with crimson droplets.
Suddenly a voice interrupted her frenzied stabbing.
"Put that down Miss Granger you don't know what you're doing."
She looked up to see Snape.
"You" she muttered
He looked at her perplexed.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?"
The tears began to trail down her pale face, she pulled the knife to her throat.
"I have to do this, I can't face it anymore."
Snape took a step towards her as she slowly backed away
"What happened? You haven't always been like this, you were fine just a few weeks ago."
Hermione took step after step backwards though never breaking the eye contact that connected them. Suddenly she let her eyes slip to the ground.
"He, he...Luc-…Malfoy…I..was raped."
Snape's voice became horrified
"Lucious raped you?"
Hermione brought her eyes up to his, she looked at him but her expression had changed to one of anger and despising.
"I wanted to tell you, even though he threatened me. I was going to but you just called me STUPID. DON"T WORRY YOU WERE TELLING ME THE TRUTH! I'M WORHTLESS!"
She dug the knife deeper into her throat a drop of dark red blood dripped off the blade. Snape stepped forward a little faster and expression of deep concern and regret etched into his face.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't mean those things. Drop the knife please! You're not worthless you're anything but."
Hermione slowly staggered backwards her tears becoming heavier, till she was hysterical.
"Why? Why shouldn't I die?"
Snape looked her straight in the eye
"Hermione your deserve to live life to the fullest, I'm going to makes sure Lucious Malfoy never hurts you again."
Hermione froze; Snape darted forward and took the knife from her hands. He gently placed his arms around her and held her shaking body.
"It's going to be alright" he whispered.