Severus sighed heavily running the pain balm over his chest. It didn't actually help in the healing process but it did numb the pain for a few hours. A small movement in the corner of his eye raised his head from his present task and his brows furrowed.

"Yes?" His tone was sharper than he intended; not liking the fact that Granger had almost managed to sneak up on him. That in combination with his present state of undress made his teeth grind.

"Your back..." Hermione curled her bottom lip in nervously before taking a small step into the bathroom, "Let me help you?"

Severus resisted with all his power not to yell at her to get out. He was sure he was going soft at this point, becoming too comfortable in her presence. Instead, he shifted his stance at the sink and pushed the small jar towards the edge in offering. His original plan to just let it go turning into a curiosity over why he was allowing her to touch him at all. Of course it wasn't the first time but it definitely felt different.

Hermione gave him a small nervous smile from the corner of her eyes before taking a small bit of balm onto her fingers. It felt odd to her but she assumed it was the magic therein. Another small bite to her bottom lip raised her eyes as she waited for him to turn away. There was a moment between them, she was sure, she couldn't explain it but he almost looked...sad?

A slow intake of breath cleared her thoughts and she raised her hand up to the top of his shoulder. Was he always so tall? Her fingers jumped slightly when she touched his torn skin, fearful of touching him too firmly. When he didn't so much as flinch, she pressed her fingers flat. Her eyes flicked over to the mirror that just barely showed the side of his face through his hair and as she worked her fingers over the ridged line she found herself caught up in the feeling of his skin beneath her fingers, working her way down silently, methodically.

Her eyes closed on instinct. Having gone without her sight for so long it was almost cathartic to allow her other senses to take over. His smell was unhindered by the soft mint of the balm. His skin was warm, rough yet smooth. The rigid line felt like fire. How could he not feel its heat?

Without her knowledge, her other hand rose to gently explore the definition over his shoulder blades, the scars that stretched over the taut skin like macabre spider webs. Her brows twitched as her face moved closer, her lips lightly trailing along the line, her breath heating the already warmed flesh. When her cheek pressed into his ribs, she could hear his heart beating wildly, his breaths tight and slow. When her fingers bumped against the leather of his belt she felt every muscle in his back tense—sharply snapping her back into reality.

Her eyes fluttered open as he turned but the apology that had jumped to the tip of her tongue stalled when his hand came up to cradle her jaw. For a moment—a fleeting second—she believed that he was going to kiss her, something she found— rather surprisingly—she had no objections to.

"How are your eyes?" Severus could see the flush over her cheeks, the dark dilation of her pupils. She was aroused but the why he could not discern. As she raised her eyes higher, he could see the blood that he had drained away slowly creeping back in around the edges.

"They're... fine..." A slow breath breathed in his taste and she hadn't even known she'd moved forward until he was pulling back.

"No pain?" Something was ticking at the back of his mind, something he was desperately trying to piece together.

"No..." Hermione licked her bottom lip, raising her fingertips to run over the dip of his waist.

"What do you want, right now. In this very moment?" Severus kept his voice low, testing one of many theories.

"I want you to hurt me..." Hermione swallowed thickly, her eyes lowering down. Her vision was rounded along the edges, it had been for some time, it was something she hadn't truly noticed until now. The thought was easily pushed aside for more carnal desires. It was like someone had given her a reward.

"Hurt you?"

"Inside... hurt me... inside..."

Severus tilted his head, taking hold of her hands that had wandered to his belt. Even a teenage boy would have been able to understand her. As he brought her wrists up towards her face, his eyes turned to the hand she'd been administering the salve with and all the pieces started to click into place.

"Inside?"

"Yes, please...like before?"

Severus looked at the small rash that was starting to crawl up her fingers, her body's resistance no doubt. Still, he had to be sure. With a small nearly silent apology, his grip on her wrists snapped tight like a vice. An action that should have made her cry out in pain brought out a deep moan of mixed pleasure and a whine of need.

As his hold lowered her down to the floor, his mind began turning. Pain was her pleasure. Even trying to block pain would bring her to the brink. It was devilishly perfect. A willing slave taking their pleasure from the pain their master gave them, no matter how sadistic. The only question now, was what would kindness bring? A soothing hand?

As his hold released he watched her shudder, a small release of pleasure no doubt. His thumbs gently massaged her bruised wrists before he forced her head back to look at him. Her eyes were so dark there was hardly any color left at all. Even something so small was capable of bringing her to her knees. Even if he was right about Dumbledore's nefarious plot to use her as some 'secret weapon' it wouldn't do any of them any good if the slightest bit of pain created a wanton whore.

No, he needed to set things right. Not for Dumbledore but for her.

"Professor...?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really hot..."

"I know... come." Severus brought them both back to their feet, using one of his hands to open the top two buttons of her shirt before grabbing a towel from the rack beside the sink. With a quick cooling charm over the cloth, he gently tucked it into her collar to help her regain control of herself. He took her hand next, washing the salve from her fingers. Once finished he cast a drying charm over their hands and released it back to her control.

A gentle push to her lower back got her moving towards the door and he followed her out with his shirt in hand. His eyes instantly snapped to the side where he could see Minerva waiting beside the office door, her tail flicking agitatedly side to side. He gave her a small frown and nod before turning his attention back to Granger.

"I'll be back in a moment, sit over by the fireplace."

"Yes, sir..." Hermione was still somewhat in a haze as she followed his instructions. Her brain desperately trying to catch up for the time it had lost control.

Severus slipped on his shirt and jacket in quick succession before moving through the door that Minerva had transfigured a cat door into, a conversation they would have at a later date. As it were, it was convenient for him now. His eyes snapped to the desk where a small picture frame sat with a very accosted looking Albus taking up the center.

"You will answer my questions, or I'll let Minerva run off with Granger in the middle of the night and you'll have lost all allies. Am I understood? "

"Have I not always answered your questions, Severus?"

"Now is not the time for games." Severus took a seat in the chair glancing to the side as Minerva came to shadow his right shoulder, "Did you or did you not orchestrate the capture and subsequent torture of Miss Granger?"

"I did not orchestrate her capture nor anything else that has befallen her." Albus made sure to look the both of them squarely in the eye when he spoke.

"Were you aware that Baxtron would betray the order for financial gain?" Minerva's tone was sharp, she'd spent nearly the last two hours trying to find Albus without raising any suspicion. Not an easy task with two Death Eaters roaming the halls, no matter how thick they were.

"I was not. It was my belief that his convictions lied with our own."

Severus narrowed his eyes, as Albus was no longer human it was impossible for him to use his natural gifts but his learned ability to read others told him the man spoke the truth.

"Are Baxtron and Marxon related?"

"Distant cousins perhaps. I do not know."

"What is your plan for Miss Granger?"

Before Albus could respond to Severus' question a commotion in the paintings overhead drew everyone's attention.

"Albus, the Weasley boy has abandoned Potter. Sources say they saw him in a pub just south of the Snatchers' den. Said he went home with the bartender Helania Wolstin."

Severus' jaw twitched, "Daughter of Argen Wolstin?" He knew the name. A mid-level death eater known for his pleasure in taking out muggle settlements. His hands bore the blood of hundreds of families.

"The very same." The man in the painting took a deep breath, his mousy eyes turning to Dumbledore for direction.

"He's going to be killed." Minerva's tone grew irritatingly high as dread and helplessness filled her soul.

"Severus." Dumbledore turned his piercing eyes to the man to whom he had placed so much burden on, silently pleading for him to take on just one more stone in his climb.

A snarl crawled over Severus' face. As always he found himself between a rock and a hard place, "How long ago was this?"

"Two hours, I tried to get here sooner but I'm not as well traveled as others and I didn't trust my message to another." The man wiped his face nervously wondering to himself if he was already too late.

"There's nothing to be done until nightfall. It's too risky to be seen leaving the castle now."

"Severus?"

"I am not a one man army!" Severus pushed himself up from the desk, his anger billowing out in absence of his cloak, "I cannot possibly be held responsible for every idiotic teenage squabble! I am not their wet nurse! I am not the only person on this Earth that can take action!"

"You are quite right, Severus." Albus had the mind to sound remorseful for even suggesting that he risk his life to try and do anything more. He had wondered what the final straw would be, he was actually amazed he'd gone this far.

"I shall see to it." Before either Minerva or Severus were able to object, Albus was gone.

The frustration that had been building inside of Severus snapped and the entire desk found itself being hurled full force towards the door where it slammed with reverberating force that the entire tower swayed. Severus turned his attention to Minerva begging her to say something stupid but to his surprise, she merely pursed her lips and turned her eyes towards the chamber door.

Severus followed her gaze, still seething with raw energy. He waited expecting the girl inside to come through. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Minerva make her retreat, slipping down into her feline form to make her get away. His chest pulsed with energy that had been collecting over the past few months. It was like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube once it had been squeezed out. A most impossible task.

When the door finally did open and the soft eyes of the girl he'd taken to caring for finally slipped through, he found himself held still in his attempt to bring himself back under control. It wasn't until her small hand curled around his fist did he finally find the ability to turn his head.

Hermione knew she should have been afraid—terrified even, by the power that filled the room. Yet oddly, even though the air crackled and tingled over her skin, she found herself compelled to his side. He had been like an impenetrable rock this entire time. A cold facade always in place. It was exceptionally humanizing to see him finally lose control. Though she didn't know the why she desperately wanted to bring him peace.

Her fingers slipped through the bottom buttons of his coat, slowly making their way up until she'd triggered the spelled button that released the rest of the coat. Her eyes rose as the confining garment relaxed and she pushed her hands beneath feeling his chest take an unrestricted breath. Without a second glance, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her ear over his heart.

Severus closed his eyes tight, his entire body hurt with the amount of energy he was holding back. He didn't want to hurt her, she was only trying to comfort him. Yet still, why did it hurt so much? A slow breath eased some of the pulsing pain around his heart and his fists that had been digging his finger's nails into his palms relaxed. He needed more answers, his body would not rest until he found them.

With careful grace he pulled her arms from around his waist, taking one of her hands in his own. His eyes dug deeply into her own as he searched for anything at all to help him understand. Why did she care about him? Why did she see to his comfort? What could she have possibly gained? Nothing but innocence looked back at him and it confused him.

Hermione gave his hand a gentle squeeze, lowering her forehead down against his arm. She wanted him to know that she was trying so hard to be what he wanted, what he needed but she was just as lost as he was.

oOOo

Ron groaned softly when a heavy knock on Helenia's apartment door jolted him from his rest. His long shower had melted away all the tension he had been carrying. So much so that he could hardly remember what had gotten him so worked up in the first place.

Helenia hadn't asked him a single question as to where he'd been not what he'd been doing. She just pushed him towards the shower and let him be. Even when he'd finished he'd found only a sandwich with a note beside it telling him that he could take the couch. He could only assume that she'd retired to her own bed to rest.

The pounding on the door increased in time with the thumping in his skull from the mild hangover he was no doubt experiencing. Ron had just managed to pull himself up to see over the couch when he spotted a very bed wrangled looking woman in a robe and for a heartbeat, she almost looked like Hermione. As his eyes cleared, however, the brown curls turned black and he was able to somewhat remember just where he was.

Helenia kept her wand close as she looked through the peephole, her brows furrowing at the flash of red hair. As their face lined up with the hole, her grip on her wand relaxed and she released the locks on the door before pulling it open just enough to speak to the man on the other side.

"Why you do this to me, Bill?"

"Nice to see you too."

"You know I work nights, this better be important." Helenia let out a heavy yawn to accent her point.

"It's about the boy you brought home."

"Yeah? Spying on me now too? What would Fleur say?" Helenia glanced over towards the couch for a moment before letting out another heavy yawn.

"She'd probably say that you're an idiot."

"He's hardly dangerous."

Bill rolled his eyes before taking the offered step into the apartment, his head turning towards the couch. It wasn't the first time he'd come to collect one runaway or another. Helenia's flirtatious cover at the bar had this far kept their little smuggling operation under the radar thus far.

"Ron."

"Bill?" Ron was about three tracks behind the entire situation his head much too heavy to even begin to process what was going on, "What're you doing here?"

"Better question, what are you doing here, alone?"

Helenia knew when something was well above her pay grade and started to make her way towards the kitchen to make some tea.

"Had a bit of a disagreement...in the woods..."

"Yeah? Why don't we talk about it someplace else?" Bill looked for all the world none to happy with his youngest brother, a fact accented by his sharp tone and narrow eyes. He helped Ron get to his feet and into his shoes before looking through the doorway of the kitchen, " You too, it's much too dangerous for you now."

"I'll take my chances, Daddy won't like it if he can't get his free drinks." Helenia leaned against the door frame only now taking in the resemblance between the two, it was easy for her to connect the dots. "I'll be safe, promise." She pulled out the small charm on her necklace showing Bill that she still had the portkey that would take her to Shell cottage.

"Right." Bill looked down at Ron before taking a tight grip on his arm.

"Thanks for the couch..." Ron threw her a weak smile as his brother apparated them out with a soft crack.

oOOo

"This is the device that was inside you." Severus laid the Dual Dragon down gently onto the brewing table.

"It's smaller than I thought it would be..." Hermione ran her eyes over the ornate stone her fingers twitching to explore it more thoroughly.

"Looks can be deceiving..." Severus took hold of the end pulling out the core. He was looking for the poison reserve that had to be inside the outer chamber.

Hermione nodded only slightly, her brain ticking like an old grandfather clock as she tried recalled the day it was first placed inside her. Her face scrunched with pain as her knees pressed tightly together, "What are you looking for?"

"There is a poison inside...That still appears to be affecting you." Severus turned the outer chamber, his voice flat and emotionless as he tried to find some sort of release. The book he had held cryptic drawings but nothing to truly hint at the device's true design.

"I feel fine..." Hermione licked her bottom lip, her voice somewhat distant as her own screams echoed inside her mind.

"You'll feel better once I can neutralize the poison." Severus gave her a small glance, "Do you know who gave this to Marxon?"

"Marxon?"

"The man who held you captive."

Hermione made another face as she tried to think back, it was all sort of a large blur but she felt as though she could recall something. Not wanting to let him down she nodded her head slowly and closed her eyes to try and remember.

Severus set down the dragon slowly coming around the table to come behind her. He could feel her struggle and hoped that perhaps he could give her the clarity that she needed. She leaned back into him as his hands came up to her temples the spell leaving his lips without a second thought.