A/N: I'm rethinking the ship that happens in the story so your input would be ever so helpful.

Poll: Hermione and….
1.Remus
2.Snape
3.Snape, but something happens and she goes back to Remus
4.FRODO!!!! just kidding folks, but seriously, I'd like your input or maybe Frodo will have to come into the story 0o

And a quick warning this chapter makes references to abuse and other not so pleasant things, so you've been warned.

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Hermione awoke to the sound of muffled sneers and jibes. Her eyes were sore and had trouble opening. She could feel the cold concrete flooring, but she was more concerned with the even colder looks she was getting.

"The Mudblood awakens." Someone jeered.

Hermione tried to lift herself, but pain like she had never felt before pierced through her body and she collapsed on the hard floor. She tried to take in her surroundings. She noticed that she was in some sort of cell. There were men standing with black robes, some wore masks: Death Eaters. She couldn't tell where they had taken her, but her questions no longer mattered when she felt a sharp pain in her side. She yelped in pain.

"Where's your Gryffindor courage now." The Death Eater added with another kick to her side.

"Stop!" One Death Eater just out of view said, "Nothing else is to be done tonight if we wish to question her later and have her give satisfactory answers, Nott!" Hermione was silently thankful there would be no more for now. But her happiness over this fact was soon ended when she realized that she would probably be tortured into giving answers. Her fears were again replaced with new ones when all but one Death Eater filed out of the cell. A cold voice called out to the remaining Death Eater.

"Shall I put the usual wards on the cell, Severus, or will you do so when you leave?"

"I shall Gregory," Snape replied quietly. The ominous sound of Goyle's footsteps leaving echoed in the cemented area. Hermione flinched when she heard Snape cast a spell.

"You do not have to worry," Snape said in a tone hardly above a whisper. Hermione felt safer and more frightened when she heard his words laced with pain and regret. She tried to reply, but her throat only emitted scratching noises.

"Shhh, don't worry." Snape said as he put a blanket that he had conjured over her bare skin. Oh Gods why aren't I wearing anything, Hermione thought as a tear slipped down her cheek. Snape's usually emotionless eyes held anguish as he caught her gaze. Hermione remembered that he was a skilled Legilimens and realized he could read her thoughts: Where am I? She thought focusing all of her mind on those words.

"In the cellar of the Riddle manor," Snape replied to unspoken question. Hermione half wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't in a dream, but the throbbing injuries on her body told her that pinch or no pinch, this was very real.

"I need you to understand something, Hermione." Snape said boring into her eyes. "While I am here, I must act as if I were a Death Eater. If I fail to-" His voice broke, "-If I fail to, the results would be worse than they already are." Hermione tried to nod, but found that her body was quite useless to her.

"The Dark Lord may be gone, but Dumbledore still wishes for me to follow the Death Eaters. He feels that there may be a way to conquer them and I cannot sacrifice this position, we'd be killed before you could say 'traitor.'"

"Severus!" A voice rang out and Severus jumped his blood turning to ice, "Is she ready to be presented to the council yet?"

"Not yet. Mudbloods are obviously weaker than Pure Bloods in this regard as well. This filth has taken great injury. Unfortunately I will have to keep her here a while longer, so she will be able to help us." The words sounded caustic and cruel as they left Severus' lips and the other Death Eater left accepting his explanation.

"I am so sorry." Snape breathed. He pulled the blanket he had placed on Hermione back a fraction and began muttering healing charms. Soon many of the bruises on her back and appendages had lifted and she felt some of her former strength regain. He positioned the blanket in such a way that it covered her while he lifted her up. He drew back slowly to make sure that she could stand on her own. Hermione's legs seemed unsure of themselves and she wobbled a bit, but she was able to walk. Snape put his hand around her back and began leading her to the door.

"Hermione, a true Death Eater is unable to do any real healing. If I were to restore to full health, the others would become suspicious." Snape said and continued in a voice he thought Hermione couldn't hear, "What have I done?"

"Thank you." Hermione wheezed. Those words crippled Snape. If only she knew what part I played in all of this. The two of them continued walking in their slow walk.

Hermione tried to notice everything around her. In her years of helping Harry, she had learned help always came in the details. She noticed that the house had not been inhabited in many years. The pealing wallpaper and musty smell gave that away. Things had been recently added to "improve" the house. The cage she was in, for instance, hadn't been there long. The dry wall where the wire went into was broken and out of place. She didn't have too much time for making observations, however, the trek up the stairs took most of her energy. She felt as if she could walk no further when Snape stopped her and reached out for a door. After opening it they walked a little farther and she collapsed, Snape barely catching her before she hit the floor.

"I thought you were supposed to heal her Snape!" A Death Eater called with fury dancing in his eyes.

"I am sorry to disappoint you so, McNair, but I have never been able to heal all that well," Snape said in a biting tone before adding, "As if you would have wanted her fully healed anyway.

"I shall never understand why Death Eaters cannot heal." A fellow Death Eater commented, while another answered, "Perhaps it is not in our nature to heal. We enjoy inflicting pain too much." He finished with a heartless laugh that the others joined in each with their own unique malicious laugh. With out a seconds delay a Death Eater pulled out his wand and the rest were too caught up with his spell to notice the fear on Snape's face.

"Ennervate" He shouted. At this Hermione's eyes flicked open and with her remaining strength she tried to get out of Snape's grasp to flee from the Death Eaters, but Snape held her gently yet firmly and she went no where.

"I wish you to leave Severus. The old fool will be wondering of your whereabouts. Tell him that we have captured his dear Mudblood and do try to remember everything about the look of fear on his face- you'll have to tell us the horror written across it."

"Wouldn't it be wise if I stayed here. I could-" Snape was cut short.

"GET OUT NOW SNAPE!" Several Death Eaters shouted. In his surprise, one of the Death Eaters cast a quick Cruciatus to enforce the point. Severus had lost the good standing among the Death Eaters that he had once had ever since the Dark Lord fell. Without wasting much time he headed toward the door, praying that Hermione would be all right when he returned with the rest of the Order.