The darkness enveloped her, Hermione had a brief moment of panic as the guard shut the door and the lock clicked in place.
Hermione took two more steps into the darkness then heard a hoarse scream ahead of her.
Hermione stopped dead and listened; she heard incoherent mutters and more cries.
She wanted to move through the darkness to see if the noise was coming from Snape, but hermione was paralyzed with fear.
A few more labored breathes and suddenly a soft light glowed from the walls, it was a blue hue and came from large indents in the stone. If Hermione hadn't been terrified she would've wondered how the light was being emitted and would want to see how it was done.
Instead Hermione stared around herself with wide pupils trying to take everything in before her eyes had completely adjusted.
Another harsh shout interrupted her memorization of the small cell.
Hermione crept forward some more and saw that the noise was, indeed, coming from Snape and that he was curled up in a thin blanket and backed against the corner farthest from her.
Hermione took two more steps then stopped abruptly.
She was aware that her stopping wasn't her own doing but that of some invisible force. She was sure it was due to Snape, but she couldn't prove it since he was still curled up and whimpering; which Hermione was sure meant he was sleeping.
Hermione pushed against the magic holding her back and felt a small tingle of pain lace up her spine; it was a warning for her to stop fighting it or more pain would follow.
Hermione stood stone still and raised her voice to call to her former Professor.
"Snape, let me go!" Hermione tried to keep the panic out of her voice as she tried to sound commanding.
He must've heard her because he jerked and stared right at her. His gaze was blazing with anger and Hermione hoped that if she screamed loud enough the guard might get to her before Snape killed her.
"Granger," Snape's voice crackled as he spoke to her.
"Can you please release me?" she winced as her pleading tone reached her ears.
He looked at her for another minute then Hermione felt the strange force holding her back recede.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and tried to take another step towards him.
His eyes met hers again with another warning that screamed stay where you are.
Hermione stopped moving and looked at him.
"Why are you here, Granger?" his voice sounded tired.
"I'm here to tell you that Kingsley, Minerva and myself have a plan to get you out of this hell hole." She expected a big reaction, or at least a reaction at all, instead all she got was a bored look.
"I have known that I am to leave this hell hole for quite a while now," Hermione couldn't stop the tiny gasp of surprise that escaped her.
"Who told you?" Hermione was sure only Kingsley and Minerva knew of their plan so she had no idea why they'd send her to tell him if someone else already had.
"I do believe my execution will be next week, a Wednesday perhaps maybe a Thursday I'm not sure," his calm voice broke Hermione out of her scrambling thoughts and threw her into mental darkness as she grasped what he'd said.
"Sir, that isn't what I'd meant," She was trying hard not to stutter as she attempted to explain herself.
Snape held up a bone thin hand to stave off her mumbled attempts at clarifying.
"Granger anything Minerva told you that sounded like a plan to attempt my rescue is merely nothing more than a cruel joke." Hermione huffed her disagreement and was met with his calm eyes flashing into dark anger again, "Now I would appreciate it if you would depart now I'm finished being the butt of this sick prank."
Hermione stared at him her mind throwing thousands of retorts at her but her mouth frozen.
She certainly hadn't expected him to act like this, even though it was Snape after all she really should have expected he would respond badly.
Snape was becoming impatient and had straightened himself against the cold wall behind him in an attempt to give off a small impression of his former intimidation.
Hermione's mouth finally began to cooperate and thousands of thoughts scrambled to be let out.
"Professor, I..." she knew she was in trouble when she felt waves of static begin to ply at her hair.
"I am no longer your professor, you stupid girl! I am a murderer and a prisoner and soon to be gone from this god forsaken world! For the last time Granger, GET OUT!"
Hermione could feel him losing control of his magic before he screamed at her to leave. She thought it the best idea to comply and quietly retreat so she tried to move away from him; towards her exit, but as she shifted a cry was ripped from her throat.
Pain exploded behind her eyes, she felt as if all her joints had been set aflame and that someone was tearing the flesh from her bones.
Hermione recognized this particular pain as belonging to the cruciatus curse.
She was aware that she had fallen to the ground and that she was emitting an awful choking noise.
Hermione used all the strength she could to open her eyes and stare at Snape.
His eyes were shut again and his head was turned slightly towards the wall, away from the sight of her.
She took a moment to wonder if he even knew he was causing her such excruciating pain or if it was a reflex he wasn't aware of.
Hermione tried to call out to him but all that came out was a muted scream.
It was enough though because Snape's head snapped to look at her and the minute it saw her contorted form, his eyes filled with horror.
He stood up and rushed towards her, the pain began to wane as he got closer to her and Hermione felt her limbs straighten.
Snape finally reached her and the pain stopped all together.
He knelt beside her and began to shake uncontrollably.
Hermione gingerly sat up and looked at him.
"Were you aware you were doing that until you saw me?" Snape didn't look up, but shook his head almost violently.
"Alright then no harm done," Hermione knew her voice shook as she spoke but she meant what she'd said so she figured it didn't matter.
Snape's head shot up at that and he stared at her with unreadable black eyes.
"Are you willing to listen to me now?" Hermione stared right back into his eyes daring him to deny her request after what he'd just done to her; aware or not.
Snape nodded his head as he got up and scuttled back to his corner with its scruffy thin blanket.
"Good," Hermione could have smiled at her success. "As I was saying Minerva and Kingsley have a plan to get you out of here, that does not involve your untimely death."
Snape still sat quietly as Hermione relayed some of the finer points of the plan that they'd worked out so far.
As soon as she'd reached her part in the scheme he stirred.
"No, tell Minerva I will not allow her to sacrifice an innocent child to help me."
Hermione almost laughed at his self righteous expression.
"I am no child! It was my decision to help you not hers and you should just accept what we are doing for you and be thankful."
Snape's eyes couldn't have narrowed any more.
"Thankful? You are telling me to be thankful? I never asked for help I am content to die at the end of the executioner's noose and no one, woman or child, will convince me otherwise!"
Hermione attempted to talk some more but Snape had withdrawn and seemed now to be utterly unreachable.
Hermione sat there on the cold stone floor for awhile trying to come up with a way to get through to the stubborn man before her but was getting nowhere, fast.
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The sound of someone pounding on the door to the cell roused both Hermione and Snape from their silence.
"Time's up lil miss, say yer goodbyes," The gruff voice of the guard barely penetrated the heavy metal of the door. Hermione heard him though and so did Snape; they were both staring at one another now.
Hermione wanted to say something cutting to show him that his lack of faith had hit her hard, but the look of fear that glimmered in his eyes struck her silent.
The guard pounded on the door for a second time and Hermione could hear the scrape of a key in the lock.
Hermione jumped to her feet and began to turn towards the cell door when Snape finally spoke up.
"Tell Minerva I'll cooperate with anything she wishes of me, if she can get me out of here in time," his voice had a horrible desperate note to it.
Hermione ducked her head ashamed at the hope she was giving this man; she was confident in the plan, but as a former member of the golden trio Hermione knew that plans were never guaranteed to succeed.
"All you have to do is lay low, sir. Don't cause trouble or attack guards; just sit here and twiddle your thumbs." She could've sworn she saw a small smirk curl his thin lips as she suggested he twiddle his thumbs but she couldn't be entirely sure.
Hermione then turned and stood in front of the metal cell door as it flew open to reveal the large guard standing with his arms akimbo.
"Alrigh' visitin time is finished. Its time for Snape to be left alone now. Follow me lil miss," The command was absolute and Hermione only glanced back once as she left.
Snape gave her one final look, a look that said very firmly to not let him down now that he'd allowed himself to hope.
Hermione nearly choked on the sob that crawled into her throat as she turned away from him and followed the guard out of the desolate prison.