'I'm scared… I'm scared that even if I tell you, you'll still send me back to them' Hermione mumbled, she couldn't bring herself to look up or to meet anyone's eye, she wanted nothing more than to seek comfort from Severus. He reminded her so much of her father, they could be twins if Professor Snape were slightly tanned and had brown hair.

Hermione had always been a Daddy's girl, her small stature had always made her parents protective of her, they had spent years taking her to doctors to explain why she was so petite and they could only say it was most likely genetic her 4ft 11 inch stature would likely be as tall as she grew. Her father used to joke that no matter how old she got he would always be able to carry her, and she could always sit on his knee for comfort.

'Hermione, we need you to tell us what has been happening, I promise you we are never going to send you back to your grandparents.' Severus reached out to offer his hand and ended up with a face full of hair and a lap full of child. Hermione appeared to recognise the error of her actions and became incredibly bashful and tried to remove herself from Severus' knee.

'Your safe, stay where you are Hermione and tell us what has been happening Little One.' Severus whispered to Hermione, settling her down enough.

'When I was discharged from hospital, there was two people waiting for me the doctors explained that they were my Daddy's parents and that they would be taking me home. I asked the doctor if they had spoken to any of you, I begged them to find a way to contact anyone because I did not want to go with strangers. If my parents did not talk about them then there must be a reason. They were cold and distant at first, they told me that they did not want me that I was exactly like my whore of a mother, and then showed me to my room. The room was in the basement, it is bare and cold, I am not spoiled I promise. I only asked for a blanket because I was cold, the basement makes your classroom feel like a pleasant summer's day, Professor Snape. That was the first time he hit me and called me ungrateful.' Hermione tried to shrink into herself and subconsciously cuddled into Severus, it felt like a long time since Hermione had felt comfort and she never wanted to leave Severus' surprisingly warm embrace.

'Keep going Sweetheart, I know your scared but as soon as you tell us when can fix this and see where we go from here.' Bellatrix ran her hand comfortingly down her back.

'After that things just got worse, I was not allowed to leave the basement they locked me in there with a flap that was installed in the door for them to pass me through bread and water. They installed cameras so they could watch me, and then they started to hurt me. At the beginning they said that I was unholy and did not show dedication to god, they made me kneel for hours on rice and salt so that I understood pain and suffering, and when I wasn't kneeling I had to study the bible they took my school trunk and books, I love reading and they took my only escape away from me. They did not want me to come back to Hogwarts and I could not let that happen I wanted to come back and tell you what was happening so I lied I told them Mummy and Daddy had found a prestigious school for religion and that was where I went to boarding school. I know I should not lie but I could not give up on magic.' Severus held Hermione a little tighter wanting to provide her with the warmth and comfort she had not experienced in the last few years.

'When the rice and prayers did not work they decided that they needed to do something else they brought priests from their church to preform exorcisms they tied me down and screamed verses of the bible at me, they tried to dunk me into water to prove I was a witch. They made me kneel on nails at the front of their church congregation for hours whilst they spoke of my Mummy's unworthiness and how her evil ways infected Daddy, how she used witchcraft to secure his loyalty and how adopting me truly turned him to the devil. This went on for weeks and no-one did anything to help me they sat and watched me but did not help. Then the beatings and whippings started at first, I screamed in pain and they laughed the more I screamed and cried the more they enjoyed it. I begged them to stop let me come back to school during the holidays, but they refused to let me return. Then this summer they started to brand me with crosses, but the marks on my back stopped me from feeling pain. When I got back to school and had no family, no friends and nothing to really live for, I did not want to be here I wanted to run away to be free of the pain. There was no one I could talk to you hate me Professor Snape, Professors' Dumbledore and McGonagall are busy trying to keep Harry alive. Please do not make me tell you anymore, I am still scared, and it hurts me to talk about it.'

'Let me first say little one, no one hates you we all admire your bravery and intelligence. We are all sorry that we failed you, you should have been able to come to us. You should not cower in fear, you should not have been hurt by anyone much less by the ones who should love you. Little one, you listen well and good, you are never returning to those muggles. Bellatrix and I will adopt you, you should never have been sent to those people, we should been contacted and enabled you to be placed with your nearest wizarding relative even Muggleborns have a magical family line though it may be small. Do you agree to us adopting you full, we can perform a blood adoption and officially make you a part of our family, our blood lines and secure your future without fear?'

'You would really do that for me? But why I am nobody, I am nothing, why would you treat me kindly.' Hermione was confused and did not know what she should do. For the first time in a long time she gave into comfort and security and began to sob. 'Please Professor adopt me and keep me from those people.'