Author's Note: Alright, I always like to thank my readers and reviewers! It means a lot to me when you guys give me feedback! So, I'm giving a shout out to middlekertz, severusgrissom, and Kwai Ax'nav! Kwai Ax'nav gave me a few ideas for this chapter, so I hope you all like them. Also, I know Snape has acted violently toward Hermione on his own accord, but I suppose it is part of the plot … even though that's still under construction! However, I will just stop typing this and get on with the story! Thanks again!

Chapter Three

Black Abyss

If it wasn't enough having to deal with foolish children on a daily basis at work, then having to put up with the school's insufferable know-it-all was definitely a step too far. Of course, Severus couldn't blame the poor girl. She never planned to become a witch, let alone get involved with Potter. She was supposed to be intelligent! Surely she had half a brain to leave Potter and his bloody Weasley friend. But of course she wouldn't! She was a Gryffindor – Severus should know they were more loyal than the Hufflepuffs.

Stupid girl. She was lucky he was around to keep her safe! Had it been straight to the Wealsey's, she would have been dead by now. Of course, she was safer here in his own house, sleeping up in his guest bedroom while he sat in his office and planned out more lessons for the coming year. It would be her sixth year, Severus knew. The chit would soon be of age, but Dumbledore had made it clear to him that she was to stay there even when she was rid of The Trace. It was beyond Severus why, though. Miss Granger surely knew more spells than half of the seventh years above her. Why, he was positive she could protect herself just fine! But no – he was forced to watch over her. Wasn't being Dumbledore's spy enough? Clearly that was a no. It didn't help that she didn't even trust him enough to eat a simple meal after the pain he had inflicted upon her. Like he had specifically raised his hand for the task! He supposed it was better than someone like Bellatrix or Lucius. They wouldn't have spared her and brought her somewhere safer than the streets or her own home. Oh yes, it had been hard for him to slash her through the way he did, slam her against a stone wall like he had and break almost every bone in her body. It had been easy to cast the spells, yes, but harder to watch his own pupil suffer, completely at his mercy.

Her screams still echoed in his head.

Severus set down his quill and rubbed his temples in gentle circles, leaning back in his hair. He thought over his day, remembering the fear in her eyes when she was pinned up against his office wall. It had been pure terror, but it had been necessary! It was quite obvious that was the only way he'd manage to keep her quiet while he was working. There was, however, the reading alternative, but it his own form of punishment for knocking over that potion. He glared at the desk before him. That potion had been important for Dumbledore and now it was ruined because of a clumsy school girl obsessed with books. Her punishment had proved to be worse than forcing her to clean out flasks in his private lab. Severus knew very well what to do next time. Perhaps keeping the girl under control wouldn't be as hard as he thought. Keeping children quiet and under his control was, after all, his speciality in the classroom. Students stayed out of his way – he planned to keep it like that for Miss Granger as well.

He retired to his bedroom late that night, exhausted from work and recent events. Sleep never came easy to him, however. He often lay awake for hours, his mind never able to rest completely. Even in sleep he thought about things: classes and the silly things Dumbledore relied on him for; the Dark Lord and when he would hold another meeting; the war and the pathetic plans the Order of the Phoenix had devised, and Lily. Oh sweet, beautiful Lily. Fifteen years she had been gone from this earth, and not a day passed when Severus didn't think about her or wonder how she would have been had she still been alive. Sometimes, he blamed his own mistake for her death. It he had learned to hold his tongue, she could have been his! She would have been safe from any harm! Oh, how different things would have been. Shaking the thoughts from his head before he drove himself to insanity, Severus lay in his bed and tried to focus on falling asleep. The quiet and darkness of his room devoured him and after some time, he finally fell into an uneasy, light sleep and when morning finally came, he felt as though he hadn't slept at all. Severus glanced at the clock on his wall. Ten thirty in the morning. He sighed and then looked away before snapping his head back in a double take. Ten thirty? Oh, half the day had been wasted and who knows what the Granger girl was up to! He almost flew from his bed and showered quickly before magically drying his hair and pulling his normal, black robes on and descending the elaborate staircase into the dining room. He was shocked to hear voices. His heart froze when he thought it might have been Lucius dropping by.

How stupid, he thought. The man is in Azkaban. Damn good of the Ministry, too. It got tiring when Lucius would suddenly pop into house – literally. There would be a pop or loud crack and sure enough, the man stood behind Severus demanding something of him.

He walked into the dining room, half of him expecting to see another Death Eater interrogating Miss Granger, when all he saw was she sitting at his dining table with a mug full of tea, talking with his House Elf. She turned suddenly looked at him with a smile.

"Good morning sir," both she and Tippy said at the same. Severus scowled at the pair of cheery twits and swept over to his own seat.

"Miss Granger," he greeted with a nod. Tippy approached him with his own mug full of straight black coffee before scurrying out into the kitchen.

"You have a lovely elf, sir," the girl commented, stirring her tea. Severus appraised her.

"Oh?" he commented, not caring much for conversation.

"Yes, she's very polite!"

"Of course, Miss Granger, they would have to be, no?" He took a sip from his coffee and set it down with a quiet thud. He frowned at her, as if talking to House Elves was a violation against all things normal.

"Of course, sir, but they do know how to have an interesting conversation." Severus cringed at the giggle that followed her words.

"I see you're feeling much better." She glanced up with bright eyes and nodded.

"Oh yes! Well, I'm still a bit sore … I suppose I have you to thank for that!" His eyes narrowed.

"Don't start, Miss Granger." He put a warning into his tone as he leaned back in his seat and watched her carefully.

"I'm only stating the truth," she muttered. Severus rolled his eyes at her cheek.

"I'll have you know," he said, clearing his throat and his tone annoyed. "If it weren't for me, you'd be dead." Severus smirked at her horrified look and added, "I'm only stating the truth." He watched her with a satisfied smirk on his face as she struggled to find something to say.

"Well," she said, sitting up straight. "I suppose I do thank you for that, Professor…." He chuckled when she pursed her lips and tried to smile at him.

"You said that yesterday, Miss Granger. I hope I didn't hit your head too hard and caused any memory loss." Severus' smirk grew as she bit her lip and looked at him worriedly.

"You didn't!" she said, her hand flying to her head. "I don't remember you hitting my head!" Severus leaned forward and nodded.

"Exactly." With this, he stood up and walked from the room only to have his hand grabbed and he was forced to turn around.

"Professor! You healed me!" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Who said that?" Oh, how fun it was to mess with her mind!

"Sir! You – you … test me! On anything, please!" He sighed and pulled his hand away and pondered for a moment.

"What don't you know, Miss Granger?"

"I don't know! I could have forgotten all of my education! I won't be able to pass my NEWTs!" His smirk grew.

"Well then, it should be fair for every other student at the school then, should it not?" He waited for her reaction but she kept her wide, scared eyes on him until he finally sighed again and got an idea. He asked, "When you made the Polyjuice Potion in your second year, Miss Granger, how long did it take?"

"How do you know about that, sir?" Severus smirked down at her. She clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Just a guess, but your memory is obviously fine." He clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Why, Miss Granger, I thought you would know better … Have you not memorized the school rules by now as well as your text books?" Hermione glared up at him.

"That was for something important, sir!" she protested.

"I'm sure sneaking into the Slytherin Common Room is certainly important to you, Miss Granger," replied Severus, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Perhaps the next thing you will learn is how to plan much more carefully." Then, he turned and walked back into his office, leaving a stunned Miss Granger behind him.

Sitting at his desk, he smirked to himself. The girl ought to learn to control her emotion better than that; he could read her like an open book without even entering her mind. Of course, he never did it intentionally unless he was suspicious of other's activities. On occasion, he'd use it against his students when they lied about homework, but never more than that. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. If he was to keep Miss Granger safe, then it would prudent for her to learn how to hide her emotions as well as block her mind. The Dark Lord was after her and Potter now, but he would certainly pursue Miss Granger before getting to Potter. If she wanted to help her friend, she would certainly need to keep her emotions and thoughts hidden from him. But teaching such subjects like Legilimency and Occlumency were strictly prohibited at Hogwarts unless directed otherwise. Severus would have to check with Dumbledore before doing so. After all, he had been given a job, and he always did his jobs well.

Severus decided he best get his last lesson of the first week planned out, but when there was a quiet knock at his door, he was forced to stop.

"Enter," he said in his usual cold voice. He turned around to see Miss Granger peek in.

"Sir?"

"What is it?" She stepped inside and closed the door behind it and leaned against it.

"I had a few questions, regarding my parents. It's so silly of me … I had forgotten they were away, and they return in two days." Severus stared at her for a moment. Well, that was certainly a problem.

"Very well, I will contact the Headmaster and have him owl them, alerting them you were taken to the Weasley's as a form as precautions." She nodded.

"Sir, if they would like to contact me….?" Her unfinished question hung in the air until Severus replied slowly.

"Owls are being intercepted, Miss Granger, if you had forgotten. The only contact to the Wizarding World they will have would be through Professor Dumbledore, as his are the only … safe ones." She nodded once more and moved to sit on the couch against the wall.

"What about Harry? And Ron?"

"Safe," said Severus. "I've been told they are at Mr. Weasley's home and will remain there until term begins." He kept his eyes on her for a moment, noticing the worried expression on her face and sighed. There was no use in letting her fuss over things. "Miss Granger, you have no reason to worry. Everything is being taken care of and you are … safe now." He folded his hands in front of him. He did not return the smile he received but knew he had improved her mood.

"Again, thank you," she said quietly. Severus nodded to her and sat back down in his chair. They stayed quiet for a moment, the silence making him feel awkward.

"You may … read, Miss Granger, or whatever you feel like doing. However, you stay in this house and don't … make a mess," he said in a softer but stern voice. Her bushy head snapped up, her eyes bright.

"Oh thank you, sir! I promise I won't!" Severus watched her flee from the room before returning to his work. He worked through his lesson plans diligently throughout the day until there was a sudden burning on his left forearm. Hissing in pain, he pulled his sleeve up and glared at the glowing mark.

"Now what does he want from me?" he growled as he stood up and set his things away before hurrying into the reading room where the girl lay spread out on the floor, books all around her. The stinging increased and worked its way up his arm; the Dark Lord was clearly angry about something.

"Miss Granger," Severus said, trying hard to keep the hiss out of his tone. She must have heard it for she jumped to her feet and straightened out her clothes.

"Yes sir?" she asked, looking fearful that she had done something.

"I must go out for … a while. I won't return for some time. Should you get hungry, Tippy is here to assist you." She nodded.

"Sir, where are you going?"

"To a meeting," said Severus through gritted teeth as he forced his mind from the pain. He turned and walked back into his office and stabbed the tip of his wand to his Dark Mark and felt the familiar cold rush of air as he was enveloped in a dense, dark shroud of black, swirling around him and obscuring his vision until he felt his feet land firmly on the ground. He stood in the Malfoy's drawing room, facing a long, black table made of polished wood with intricate carvings etched into its sides. At the high end, there sat a tall figure with pale skin that glowed in the dark candle light, the flames flickering in his blood red eyes. Around him, four others knelt down around him on knee with bowed heads. Severus, on the other hand, stood straight and tall as he marched toward the Dark Lord, stopping before in the middle of the small circle.

"Ah Severus," hissed the snake-like being. "How nice of you to join us this fine evening!"

"My Lord, why have you summoned me?" Severus asked, his voice unfaltering.

"I have questions about the Mudblood, Granger," replied Voldemort in a high, breathy voice.

"My Lord, I did as you asked." Voldemort chuckled.

"Is she dead, Severus?"

"No, My Lord," Severus admitted at once. "She is alive." Voldemort hissed and brandished his wand, drawing it across his chin in a swift movement as he stepped closer to Severus.

"I requested that you kill her after getting the information on Harry Potter, Severus."

"My Lord, are you quite sure that would have been the smartest thing to do? After all, Potter would be angry … he would surely come after you and ruin the plan you had in mind," replied Severus in a calm, controlled tone. Voldemort let out another hiss and aimed his wand at Severus, who did nothing but stay still, his hand resting at his side.

"You defied me, Severus!" yelled Voldemort. "I expected the Mudblood to be … dead! I am … dissssapointed."

"My Lord-" Severus was cut off with an excruciating pain that ripped its way through his body, riding along his veins, causing every inch of his body to throb painfully. A strangled scream made it way from his slips as he fell to his knees, trying to block the pain as he hung his head. He felt as though his rips were being snapped in half and forced through his skin as someone crushed his skull with their mere hands. Soon, the pain eased off and he knelt before his master, panting gently. No, it hadn't been the first time he had been tortured, but it certainly wasn't common for him. He looked up through his long black hair just in time to meet the end of Voldemort's wand, pointed directly at his arms and shoulders. There was a stabbing pain, as if someone had jabbed a knife into his flesh and ragged it all the way down the length of his arm. He gritted his teeth and merely hissed, and blocked his mind when Voldemort tried to enter it.

"You lied to me, Severus! You said you would do your best to finish the filthy girl!" Another stab. Severus glanced over to see the red moist seeping through his robes sleeve and dripping onto his hand.

"My Lord," Severus said, his voice weak. "My Lord, I assure you she means you no harm!" Voldemort circled around him, the long black robe sweeping the floor and trailing in the blood from Severus' arm, kicking him roughly in the ribs. Severus gasped and the felt the wind blow out of him for several seconds.

"I want her dead, Severus," Voldemort hissed, the sound of it echoing off the walls in the drawing room. "You must kill her." Severus hung his head and nodded slowly, staring at the dark floor beneath him. "Now, get out of my sight!" There was a crack and Severus found himself spinning through the black void until he stumbled into the floor of his office, gripping his ribs and trying to support his numb, bloody arm. He took a few steps and found the door and stepped out, needing to go to his lap, but happened upon a now very wide-eyed Miss Granger before the scene before him faded to black .

~SSHG~

Author's Note: Oooh, cliff hanger! Well, sort of. This chapter was short – much shorter in comparison to the last one – but I wrote it right after that and I wanted to get it up as quickly as possible! So, what's going to happen to poor Severus now? Better yet, is Hermione near her end? Only future chapters will tell! Thanks for reading and please review? It would mean a lot! Thank you! XOXO.