A Meeting of Ways

Still not mine.

Snape's Point of View

I had based my arrival point on a guess, since the Refuge seemed to be built to the same blueprints as my own home. I was fortunate that Draco had not put anything directly in front of the door.

The noise of my Apparition caused Draco to come running up from the basement, where he had likely set up his potions lab. Seeing me standing in the foyer holding a body wrapped in a cloak, he stopped, jaw dropping.

In the few moments that I had been standing there holding Hermione, she had flung an arm out that now hung limply. A slow drip of blood fell from her fingers landed on the clean floor.

"Draco, your room." I spoke quietly, but Draco was conditioned to obey me immediately from six years at Hogwarts. He hurried past me and up the stairs. I followed as quickly as I could with my burden.

He was holding open a door to a room which held a bed and wardrobe, but not the ornate furniture I had expected. Apparently Draco was not as good at Transfiguration as I had thought.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Pull down the covers," I said to him as I noticed him hesitating. "Nena!" I called out.

Draco went over to the bed and pulled back the covers. I shuddered at the thought of Hermione's bloodied body on the white sheets, but it couldn't be helped. I quickly strode to the bed and placed her prone form upon it, untangling her limbs from the cloak.

Just then, Nena arrived. "Yes, Master? How can Nena be serving you?"

As I stepped away from the bed, her eyes alighted on Hermione's broken looking body.

"Oh!" she exclaimed.

With a quick glance at Draco, I saw that he was similarly affected. I had never seen him so pale, even after his own bout with torture. I saw his eyes move from her bloody mass of hair to her bleeding nose and mouth, where the trickle that had fallen from her fingers seemed to originate. I could see his wince at the bruises forming on her neck and breasts and lacerated wrists. His eyes stopped on the smears of blood on her stomach and thighs, some of which were dried and dark while some were bright crimson.

Quickly, he strode to the side of the bed and yanked the blanket up over her nudity, covering her to her chin. He pulled out his wand and quickly cast a heating charm on the blanket. Without a word to me or the house-elf, he stalked out of the room. I heard the door slam to what, if this house was in fact structured like my own, was probably the bathroom. Faintly, the noise of running water reached my ears, almost covering the sounds of retching.

I silently thanked Dumbledore for allowing me to save Draco. If seeing Hermione bloody like this, someone he had hated for years, made him ill, he never would have survived being a Death Eater. His reaction gave me hope.

"Nena, I need you to go to Hogwarts and get three vials of Dreamless Sleep Draught, two vials of Blood Replenishing Potion, and the strongest pain killer Poppy has in stock. If she is there and gives you trouble, go to Minerva and tell her it's for me, and we need it immediately. Go! Hurry!" And with that order still ringing in the room, she was gone.

I was once again alone with Hermione, and I wanted nothing more than to scream. This was not supposed to happen. Until I knew the details, I could not return to Voldemort. If she had broken and told them anything… my life was in jeopardy.

I quickly transfigured my bloody cloak into a chair and sat next to the bed in case she should awake before Nena returned.

Draco's Point of View

Seeing Granger's broken body lying on my bed was more than I could handle. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty, having wished desperately for some company…I believe the thought had been 'even Mudblood Granger' would be better than the loneliness of the Refuge. As much as I hated her, I hadn't wanted THAT to happen to her. Torture. Rape. A small part of me wondered which of my father's friends had done that to her.

Most of me was wondering why the hell Severus had brought her here. Or, more precisely, why Severus had brought her anywhere. After all, she was the enemy. Wasn't she?

After I had calmed myself from my reaction to the blood, I left the bathroom and returned to where Severus was now sitting on a black chair.

"Severus, what happened?" I asked. I felt the need to know why my bed was now holding a bloody, naked woman who had been my nemesis (well, one of them) for six years.

"Draco," he answered, not looking up, "it's a very long story. Are you sure you are ready to hear it?" He answered my question with one of his own, giving me another out.

"Yes. I need to know, Severus. I need to know what's going on. This doesn't make any damn sense."

"Very well. I will tell you everything. But not yet. I want to wait until Nena returns and we get Hermione taken care of. Once she's settled, we'll discuss it."

Seeing that I was not going to get any more information without patience, I settled on the side of the bed to wait, as far from Granger as I could get.

Seeing that she was still bloody and bleeding, I cast a doubtful look at my godfather. "Severus, shouldn't you, you know, clean her up a bit?"

"Not until she wakes up. We may need to…collect evidence. I need to talk with her. But not until she has taken some pain medication."

"Would you like me to get some of the Draught of Peace you had me brew? It's done."

He looked at me, surprised. "Yes, Draco. That would be helpful. I had not thought of that."

I just nodded and left, hurrying downstairs to my lab.

When I returned, I saw that Nena had made it back from Hogwarts, clutching several vials.

"Professor McGonagall wants to know what is going on, sir. She is helping Nena, but she makes Nena tell her what it was for. She wants Master to write her a letter again to explain how little miss is hurt. She asks Nena to come tonight to explain," she rambled on as she handed vials to Severus.

"Very well, Nena," he sighed, "I will send you to her with a letter tonight. For now, let us treat the patient."

"What the hell, Severus! You're in contact with McGonagall?" I shrieked, voice totally out of control. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I had to remind myself that Slytherins don't lose control.

"Draco, not now!" Apparently I wasn't the only one on the verge of losing control.

A quiet moan from the bed captured both of our attentions.

Faster than I would have thought he could move, Severus knelt next to the bed, gently stroking Granger's forehead. "Shh, Hermione, you're safe now. I have some potions for you to take, and then I need to hear about what happened. Nena," he said, turning to the house-elf, "help me prop her up a bit."

Nena was quite gentle with Granger as she propped her up, not all the way in a sitting position, but enough that she would have an easier time swallowing her potions. First she was dosed with the Draught of Peace I had brewed, followed by a healing potion and a mild pain reliever.

Taking a deep breath, Granger seemed to visibly relax as the potions went to work.

"Hermione," Severus quietly said to her, "I need to know what happened, so that I know what to tell Minerva and how to proceed. I know it's going to be hard for you to talk about, but, Hermione, I need you to be strong. We have to know everything."

I could barely see her nod at his words, her eyes focusing and looking around the room. When she saw me, she flinched, shrinking back.

Noticing her reaction to me, Severus recaptured her attention. "Hermione, I cannot return to the Dark Lord until I know what happened, and I don't have much time. Please, Hermione, focus. Then I will give you another potion and have Nena clean you up so you can rest…"

At his words Granger took a great shuddering breath and began. "Where do I start?" she asked, more quietly and timidly than I had ever heard her before.

"At the beginning," he answered. "You were early today. Why were you early?"

Slowly, she nodded. "All right. Last week when we met, I noticed that the place was dirty and the charms to keep out the breeze were wearing off…and Ron and I had a fight. We broke up. So things have been…um…uncomfortable around the house…and I wanted to get away."

Severus nodded at her to continue, although she hadn't made any sense to me.

"Well, I decided to go early, and do some cleaning. I Apparated to the tunnel, like I usually do, and let myself in. I thought I heard noises, but the place creaks and settles all the time, so I didn't pay it much attention. I went upstairs and saw the door was closed, but I ignored that too, blaming it on the wind."

She blanked out for a moment, I assume to gather her thoughts.

"I was stupid. I should have been more cautious. But I wasn't expecting them there. I'm used to having the boys around. We guard each other's backs, you know? We've gotten careless, that way…

"Anyway, I opened the door and the next thing I knew, Lucius had gotten my wand and I was knocked off my feet. There were four of them: Lucius, Crabbe and Goyle, and Nott. I couldn't tell Crabbe and Goyle apart. Do they have giant blood?" she asked, losing the train of her thought.

"Not that I am aware of, but it would explain a lot," Severus answered her.

Nodding again, she continued, "Lucius seemed to be the leader of the group. He sent Nott and…Goyle, I think, to search the house for anyone else. Of course, there was no one else. When they came back, he was busy binding me…I think…I get a little fuzzy here…"

Severus nodded, prompting her to continue.

"Nott cast the Cruciatus Curse on me first. I remember thinking that he whispered it so quietly, that you would never know it was an Unforgivable. He hardly seemed to mean it…when he lifted it, I tried to move, and Lucius said he hadn't softened me up enough…so Lucius cast it next. At some point, I passed out and was revived. I think that's when I bit my lip."

I looked at Granger closely. She was still shaking, clearly still in pain, but she was fighting it, not giving in. I was impressed. Having recently experienced the Cruciatus Curse myself, I knew it was the worst pain imaginable. But here she was, speaking clearly, calmly. For the first time in the more than six years I had known her, I began to respect Granger.

"Hermione," Severus asked, "did you tell them anything about the Order?"

"No. They never asked me any questions. Unless one of them used Legilimency on me, I don't think they learned anything. Can you use Legilimency on someone who is unconscious, or while they are being cursed? I never felt any probing."

"You can, but none of those four are very powerful at Legilimency. You would have likely felt the probing."

"I tried to stay shielded while it was happening…it helped me distance myself from what was happening."

At this Severus just nodded at her to continue.

"Lucius had repaired the bed, and he had Crabbe and Goyle throw me onto it. Somehow they removed my clothes. Since I didn't see them in the room after, I think they were Vanished. Lucius…took me first. He seemed surprised that I was a virgin." She gave a sad smile at that, a tear sliding down her cheek.

I was fighting myself for control. I could hardly believe my own father had tortured and raped my classmate. A girl my age. I mean, I knew that he had done some… not nice things. But this…

At that point, I noticed Severus looking at me. "Draco," he asked, "are you all right? You may leave, if you wish."

"No, Severus, I need to know what happened so that if anything more happens I am prepared." I couldn't possible leave at this point. Granger had not only lived it, but she was telling it in detail. I know Slytherins are not known for their courage, but I was not about to be shown up by Granger.

Severus looked at me for a moment before nodding to Granger to continue. Seeing the exchange and the nod, she began again, "When Lucius finished, Goyle took me, then Crabbe. Nott took me, uh…in the rear." She paused, looking at Severus to see if he understood what she didn't know how to say. He nodded, showing comprehension, and she flushed. "Lucius took me again, and I passed out. I don't know what else happened from that point since they didn't revive me. The next thing I remember was waking up alone, naked on the bed, with no clothing in the room and my wand broken. I know I passed out again, and then you found me."

She shuddered, probably thinking about what had happened.

"Hermione, I want you to know that you have been very brave. You have done your House proud. I will leave you now in Nena's care. Please let her know if you need anything. I will contact Minerva and we will decide where to go from here," Snape told her.

I was quite impressed. He managed to compliment her in such a way that it could mean anything… done your House proud indeed. She probably assumed that was a good thing. I wasn't so sure Severus meant it that way. If she had been a bit less brave, she may not be in this situation.

I wouldn't mention it, though. Much as I like to push her buttons, I could tell she felt better for the compliment.

In the time that I had spent examining her reaction, Severus had left the room. Seeing that her focus had shifted to me, I gave her a brief nod before I followed him. As I made my way towards the door, I noticed the small form of the house-elf moving towards the bed in an attempt to get Granger cleaned and comfortable.

I found Severus in the kitchen, making a cup of tea, which he took with himself to the table. He seemed to be waiting for me to question him, so I decided to oblige him.

"All right, Severus, I think I would like the whole story now."

"Draco, the whole story stretches back more than twenty years and would take almost that long to tell. But I'll tell you the important parts," he countered.

"As long as the important parts include why I have Granger bleeding in my bed, I suppose that will do," I answered.

He only sighed, collecting his thoughts.

"Draco, I joined Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters right out of Hogwarts. Your father was one of my patrons. For a while, I was quite content. The Dark Lord favored me, to some extent, since I am a half-blood like him. Once I finished my mastery exams in Potions, he supported my bid to teach at Hogwarts, expecting me to spy for him and recruit. It was while I was interviewing for the post, though, a number of things happened. I overheard something that has changed the course of the wizarding world, and he made a mistake. While I was gone to my interview, he thought to show me his favor by hurting someone he thought I should despise. Instead, it was someone I held quite dear. But I did not find out about it until after I shared with him the conversation I had partially overheard."

He paused for a moment, I assumed because he was trying to decide how much to tell me. I didn't mind, though, since it gave me a chance to digest that Lord Voldemort was a half-blood. That was certainly not common knowledge, or at least if it was, it was not openly discussed.

Severus picked up the thread of his thoughts. "The outcomes of the next two meetings I had with the Dark Lord caused me to question everything I had believed in up to that point. And the soul-searching that ensued led me to confess to Dumbledore and change sides."

"You have been a spy since I was a baby?" I asked, astounded.

"Yes. You would have been just about a year old."

"But then, this whole time, last year…"

"Yes, Draco. Dumbledore knew all about it. When I told him about the Oath I had sworn to your mother, he made me swear to him that I would follow through. He believed that my placement as a spy was more important than his life. And that you were more important, too. He wanted you to live. He believed that you would not be able to go through with it, that you were still too good at heart, that you were being forced by your love for your mother to do something you did not want to do. So I did what had to be done."

"How did he know he could trust you?"

"That, young man, has no bearing on why Hermione is lying naked and bleeding in your bed."

He spent a few minutes sipping his tea in silence. With another deep sigh, he continued, "After Dumbledore was dead, no one in the Order of the Phoenix knew the entire story of what had happened, and no one had been set up as a contact. After your escape, I took a chance and sent a letter to Minerva, asking her to view some memories that Dumbledore and stored for his Pensieve. Once she had seen them, she set me up with a contact. Hermione turned out to be my contact, and we have been meeting regularly at the Shrieking Shack. That is where I found her this afternoon, left for dead. And because it is partly my fault for her being alone and unprotected, I could not leave her there to die. I had nowhere else to take her, so I brought her here."

"Granger is a member of the Order of the Phoenix? Wait a minute… YOU are a member of the Order of the Phoenix?" I was spluttering in shock.

"Yes, Draco. Hermione and I are both members."

"Is that who I have been brewing potions for?"

"Yes," Severus answered me with a smirk.

I was not sure what to think of this turn of events. I had no idea I had been helping the enemy. Hell, I didn't even know who the enemy was. After all, the man my father had dedicated his life to wanted me dead.

"Draco, in all seriousness, I wanted to keep you out of this. But I had nowhere else I could take Hermione. I am going to have to leave her with you until I can coordinate something with Minerva. Will you make sure she is taken care of? Nena will do the work, but I want someone here with her. She has been through a very traumatic experience, and she cannot be left alone right now."

Gods, he wanted ME to take care of Granger. And after everything he had done for me, how could I say no? A small voice inside of me wondered if I even wanted to say no. At least I would have someone else here for a while. And if I was decent to her, it would only make things better for me when this ended if her side won the war…

"Yes, Severus, I'll stay with Granger."

"Thank you, Draco. I'll get word to Minerva through Nena of what the plan is. I'm going to my home in case Bellatrix comes looking for me. Send Nena to me when she is finished cleaning Hermione."

Without another word to me, he Disapparated home.

I sighed, trying to decide what to do. Hearing movement upstairs, I decided to check on Granger and Nena and see if they needed anything.

I climbed the stairs slowly, wondering why I felt so calm about having Granger in my home, given our history together. I knew it was partly the fact that I was glad to have another human presence around, someone I could potentially talk to, even if it was only for a brief period of time. But the more I considered it, the more I realized it was something deeper than that. At some point tonight, my thoughts on Granger had changed. I no longer mentally thought of her as The Mudblood. Now she was just Granger. Not a friend, but also not the hated enemy of my Hogwarts days.

When and why had she changed in my mind?

The only thing I could come up with was that we had both experienced torture. But it was more than that. Severus had been tortured, too, and I had not completely changed my view of him because of it. Potter had been tortured as well, and while I respected Potter in some ways for enduring the Dark Lord's curses, it wasn't the complete change that had overcome my views of Granger at hearing her story.

Standing at the door to my bedroom which was now forever tainted in my mind as the place where I had heard how cruel my father could truly be, I looked in and saw Granger's form lying on the bed. She was cleaned of blood and wrapped in a sheet, looking peaceful. Quietly, so as not to awaken her, I pushed open the door and Conjured a chair, placing it close to the bed.

She was murmuring in her sleep, clearly not completely calmed by the potions she had been dosed with, so I gently reached over and took her hand, giving it a light squeeze the way I had seen Potter or Weasley do on occasion.

It seemed to comfort her. I pulled my chair closer and settled into my vigil. I would not let Severus down, and I realized in that moment, I wouldn't let her down, either.

A/N: Please review...