Hermione ran the bar of soap over her body for the third time in as many minutes and still felt unclean. She often felt this way after an encounter with Lucius. The man was charming and extremely useful but he had a way of making her feel dirty with a single glance. She shuddered at the memory of his hands on her skin and scrubbed harder against the sensitive skin on her torso leaving long red welts. Why had she thought she could do alone? Why hadn't she trusted them? Trusted Severus? He loved her. Or at least, he had.
Severus cursed and kicked the heavy oak door. "Hermione stole my wand." He growled in answer to the questioning looks from the boys.
"It wouldn't have made much difference if she hadn't sir," Harry said tentatively, "Both Ron and I have ours, magic doesn't work in here. Its like she's managed to ward the place against everything Magical."
Severus cursed again throwing himself down onto one of the room's rickety wooden chairs. He sat there and brooded for several minutes before a look of inspiration crossed his face closely followed by a grimace of pain. "Potter, give me your wand."
Harry, looking rather skeptical, handed Severus his wand.
Severus accepted it with a polite nod, then raised it and pointed it straight at Harry. "Legilimens"
Harry stared accusingly at the Potions Master. "What are you doing? I told you magic doesn't work here." He spoke the last sentence slowly as if it would help get his point across.
"I had to be sure." Severus responded with a sneer. "Since your very lives depend on this room being completely sealed to any spells." With that cryptic remark Severus touched his fingers to the slightly glowing tattoo on his forearm and disappeared.
Hermione cast a drying spell over her skin and eyed herself in the mirror. This next step was critical, it had to be executed perfectly or the entire plan would collapse into ruin. She examined her features one by one, decided she looked innocent enough to fool them all. It will work she whispered resolutely. It has to. She paused a moment thinking of Severus, trapped in that ghastly little room with Harry and Ron, and smiled. He would be unspeakably furious. She would have to visit once more before she disappeared. He was so sexy when he was mad.