"Bound?" Hermione asked quizzically, with some trepidation, "As in, married?"

"Merlin, no!" Snape responded hastily. "While the term is frequent in ancient texts, there is little detailing it. From what I surmise, it is similar to indentured servitude."

"So I'm a slave?" Her voice rose slightly and squeaked.

"No, well, perhaps." Snape rubbed the bridge of his nose thoughtfully. "It seems to limit choice somewhat, or rather subjects the ward to commands of the binder."

"So Lucius would…" Hermione trailed off, choking in on itself.

"This is all conjecture. There has not been a case in hundreds of years, and perhaps here merely meant 'ward' in the traditional sense, though your mark belies that."

"Do you have a mark?" Hermione asked suddenly as Snape wove away the tea-set. (Actually, he sent it back down to the Under-kitchen with the house-elves, but decided not to mention that to Hermione, lest he get a lecture and a pamphlet for SPEW).

"No.." Snape said firmly, then paused. Did he? He rubbed the spot on his thigh that had started hurting earlier. "Perhaps. I will check later."

"Why not now?"

Snape raised his eyebrows. "What, you want to see me naked that badly?"

Hermione flushed. "Um no, that's ok, later is fine. Maybe we should do some tests on this 'command' thing."

"Fair enough." Snape got up and stretched, rather like a cat. A snarky cat, anyway. "Don't touch any book on that shelf." Snape pointed, and Hermione got up and went over to the shelf. Pointedly, she took a book down and flipped through it. "Hmmm." Snape pondered. "That's good, nothing happened."

"Well good, I am not going to be anyone's servant." Hermione flipped her hair a bit petulantly. "So you cannot order me around."

"We still do not know that or not. However, as it looks like you are in no danger of me accidentally ordering you to go jump in a lake, we can move on. You still have not told your detailed version of events…

"Oh right." Hermione sat back down. "Well it started when Ginny and I were thumbing through old magazines…"

As Hermione told her tale, Snape was looking over the bookshelves, pulling out a volume here and there. He was paying attention, but as his memory was photographic he had no need to take copious amounts of notes. Hermione was still taking notes, even as she was talking. When she finished, he laid the books down on the table.

"These are older volumes, two of them legal codes and provisions specifically dealing with family guardianship." He explained.

"The third?" Hermione stroked the books thoughtfully, eyes wide as if noting their value.

"Nursery rhymes." He replied. "Darker nursery rhymes, most from the Middle Ages or before."

"You think nursery rhymes will help us?"

"Lucius was using bone dice. Certain bone dice of legend were imbued with great power, and passed down through family lines. Often the secrets of their power would be coded into a nursery rhyme and taught to even the youngest of children so that even should the adults of a family be killed, their artifacts of power could still be used by the next generation. At this juncture, any avenue should be explored."

Hermione seemed suitably impressed and picked up the nursery rhyme book, leafing through it. On one of the pages she stiffened and shuddered, dropping it. "It's dark…"

"Yes, this is one book you would never find in Flourish and Blott's." Snape almost smiled at her consternation. "Now, I am going to take a shower. Feel free to peruse these books, and take notes…and more notes…"

Hermione stuck her tongue out as he retreated, then picked up her quill and one of the legal books. There was no way she was going to read that creepy dark 'nursery rhyme' book. The thing was illustrated!

A toad freshly kissed

A comb full of hair

And a new apple

Red as blood, red as blood

~from "Nursery Rhymes & Cradle Songs of the Ancient and Esteemed Houses", purchasable in Knockturn Alley at Tomes & Terrors for a mere 1682 galleons, 3 sickles, and 23 knuts.