A/N: All right, here's the last chapter for tonight

WARNING: This chapter contains a very graphic description of Hermione after the Malfoys have been torturing her. If the idea of blood makes you squeamish, you might want to skip the second paragraph.

Chapter the Seventh

Meanwhile, in a little used bedroom in the back of Malfoy Manor, Hermione awoke again to find herself capable of movement. Yet at the moment that she became aware of her surroundings, she immediately closed her eyes, and fought the urge to scream. She was alone, thank Merlin, but it was apparent that she had not always been so. Her previously white robes were now hanging on a dresser drawer after having been ripped and shredded. They were now tinged pink with blood. But it was not the damage to her clothing that made her want to scream. It was what was reflected in the mirror hanging across the room from her that disturbed her very soul.

She had been used as a canvas. Her body was covered in cuts made in careful strokes. The blood on the robes had been only a hint at the damage she had sustained. A curly cue on her right breast, from her nipple out, vines and leaves on her arms in a parody of the metallic ones that she still wore from the rite, and the word "WARNING" on her stomach were only beginnings of the designs. Her legs had shapes and swirls on them, and her feet had a parody of sandals carved into them, and the work on her stomach was incorporated into an intricate paisley design. Overall, it looked as if someone had been drawing henna tattoos all over her body with a penknife. Her hands had been chained above her head, she stood only on the balls of her feet.

Despite the slight pain from the wounds, Hermione turned, to see her back. "They must have given me a numbing potion, since there is so little pain," she muttered to herself, before looking into the mirror. Her back was mercifully free of the carvings that decorated her front, but the dark mark had been painted magically on her lower back. Hermione was at first more afraid of this mark than the cuts that were still bleeding down her front, until she saw that it was only ink, and not a magical die, that colored the mark. Thanking Merlin for small mercies, Hermione turned her mind toward finding a way out of her prison. With a clinical mind, Hermione took stock of her injuries. The cuts were shallow, and oozed, instead of spurted, so Hermione knew that she would continue to loose blood, but probably not die of blood loss quickly if she tried to move. Hermione looked through the small window above the bed, and saw the first rays of sunlight stream into the room. Hermione wondered if the Malfoys had her wand. It was working now. "Well, it can't hurt to try, now can it? Accio Wand." Hermione waited a few minutes, but nothing happened. Desperate for any possible chance, she called "Accio Key." Expecting to find the key to the cuffs chaining her to the ceiling, something… interesting… happened.

The door burst open to show Severus Snape being dragged along by Hermione's wand. As soon as he saw her, he lost his grip on the wand, and it flew into Hermione's right hand. She immediately took advantage of her chance and said "Alohamora" while concentrating on the lock to the cuffs she wore. Released from her bindings, Hermione was suddenly supporting her own weight, and the loss of blood caught up with her, causing her to collapse on the floor. She braced herself for the impact, only to cry out at the feeling of rough cloth rubbing against her cuts.

Realizing that someone was holding her, she looked up, and in amazement began to babble "Professor Snape? What are you doing here? Did anyone else come? How long have I been out? Where are the Malfoys? I mean, not that I'm ungrateful for your arrival, but the question comes to mind, and…" Her questions died off when she saw the look of concern in the Potions Master's eyes. It was the first emotion she had seen there. Then, it was as if the flood gate had been opened, for she could see relief and embarrassment, cross his face. Then suddenly, she became aware of the position they were in, he kneeling on the floor, cradling her naked body against his chest. With that realization came her own embarrassment. If she had lost any less blood, she would have blushed. Her teacher was holding her, and she was naked… and in pain. With a low moan, Hermione mercifully passed out again.

When Snape Apperated into the Malfoy's living room, he realized that he had no idea where they had taken her. After fifteen minutes of searching first the dungeons and then the master bedroom and Draco's potions lab, Snape realized that it was as if no one was home. Not even the house elves answered when he called out, he realized. "That's odd. Lucius! Where are you? Draco, show yourself, immediately!" At this, Draco Malfoy sauntered down a hallway towards him, as if it was perfectly natural for him to suddenly be at home at dawn on a Saturday morning, instead of at Hogwarts.

"Professor Snape? What are you doing here? Its nice to see you sir." Draco said, with a smirk on his face. Did our Lord offer to let you join in the fun? She's knocked out cold, so she won't scream. Father is working with her now."

"Where is Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy? The Dark Lord told me to pick her up and take her back to the school, and I would not endure Crucio for failing to do my job. And shouldn't you be back in the Serpents Den? It will not do for the Headmaster to know where you were last night." Snape glared at Draco with all the ferocity that was his normal mask. As he expected, Draco paled at the idea of Albus Dumbledore finding out that he had taken the Dark Mark, and immediately excused himself to use the portkey back to his room.

Following the hallway Draco had come toward him from, Snape turned a corner to find Lucius exiting a bathroom, looking more disheveled than Snape had ever seen him. "What happened, Lucius? Did the girl put up a fight?" he asked, pointing to the bloodstain on Lucius' normally crisp white shirt.

"Of course not, Severus. I simply kept her Stupified until I was finished with her. With all luck we should hear her screaming sometime soon. Why, fancy a go with her? I don't think she is overly appealing now. I expected Draco to rape her, as I find her utterly plain, but he had the good sense to not waste himself on her." Lucius Malfoy smiled at Snape in a smirk that mirrored Draco's own from a few minutes before.

"I'll pass thank you, Lucius. I like my women willing, and generally not children," Snape said, although in his head, he thought If he laid one finger on her, I swear to every deity ever worshipped, I'll kill him. She's MINE even if she doesn't know it yet.

"Of course, my friend. Would you care for a brandy? I think I'll get drunk before I go back down and wake her up and make her please me. What do you think?" Lucius asked. "Do you think she'll be any good?"

At this, Snape's self control snapped. He drew his wand and pointed it at Lucius' throat. "Where is she, Lucius. I'm taking her back to Hogwarts right now. I have the Dark Lord's orders. And even if I didn't, I wouldn't let you have her."

"Honestly, I don't know where Draco put her. He said something about having needed a new canvas, though, so I'll probably find her in one of the back bedrooms. Draco always liked the light back there," Lucius said, as he drew his own wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Snape said, and Lucius' wand fell into his hands. "You always did suck at dueling, Lucius. "Stupify! Petrificus Totalus!" And with that, Lucius Malfoy fell. "Sweet Dreams, Lucius. I hope you have trouble remembering. Obliviate!"

"Now, how am I going to find her?" Snape wondered aloud. Then, there was a movement in the pocket of his robes: Hermione's wand was trying to get out. "She's calling it! She must be alive!" Turning to Lucius' still form, he added, "And for that, you should be glad." A second later, the wand ripped through the fabric of Snape's robe, and he caught it, as it pulled him toward it's mistress. Snape held on for dear life, until it came to a door. Snape was amazed to watch as the jewel in the base of the ornate wand glowed purple, and the door burst open, despite no spells being spoken. When Snape looked up from the wand, he gasped in surprise to see Hermione hanging from the ceiling. At first he thought she was dead, but he loosened his grip on the wand, and it flew into her right hand. In a slightly weak voice, he heard her whisper "Alohamora!" and promptly fall to the ground. Snape ran into the room, and tripped over the threshold. He slid on his knees until he was in the path of her fall, and caught her just before her head reached the floor.

Snape heard Hermione whimper at the contact, and he was concerned. There was too much blood on her to determine how deep the cuts were, and he was afraid that she had other damage as well. Then she faced him, and started asking questions. A barrage of questions, he thought, she's all right. She's in shock from the blood loss, but she's mentally all there. Oh, Merlin, I'm holding my student, and she's naked. Granted she's a bloody mess, but she's still naked. I'm glad she doesn't know how she effects me, even when she's clothed.

Suddenly, Hermione's questions trailed off, and he found her gazing into his eyes, reading the emotions he had failed to hide. As soon as he realized what she was doing, he slammed up his mask again, as cold and disdainful as possible. Then she moaned, and passed out.

The first thing Snape did, was to lay her on the small bed, and to cover her as lightly as possible in his outer robe. "At least the lining to my robes is silk," he muttered to himself, "It won't hurt as much."

As soon as he knew she would not reawaken, Snape gathered her in his arms, and Apperated back to the gates of Hogwarts.