Again, a huge thank you to my beta, Irononmaiden, for catching many mistakes that I would have let slip through the cracks. Any errors that remain are my doing! Enjoy!

It was nearly a fortnight before Severus ventured back to Madam Peony's. He had sent his delivery by courier the previous week, just to make sure there wasn't any possibility of catching a glimpse of Hermione before she'd bought out her contract and left the brothel. He'd faced her once knowing who she was. He didn't think he could do it a second time, especially now that she knew who he was. He didn't want to see the disgust on her face. Didn't want to see her dismiss him.

But eventually his needs forced him back. He'd dreamed of her nearly every night and always woke hard and aching. If he could just get a new regular, perhaps he could relieve some of the tension that radiated through him every moment of the day. He Apparated to the brothel and stood outside for a moment, staring up at the window that, until a week ago, had belonged to H. To Hermione Granger, he reminded himself. But that was done. He closed the door on the memories and walked resolutely inside.

Madam Peony saw Master Potione come in and brightened immediately. She hadn't seen him in so long that she thought he would want to reneg on their arrangement. The last delivery had arrived on time and complete, but one could never be too careful. She hadn't gotten to her place in life by leaving things to chance or missing opportunities.

"Master Potione, how good to see you again!" She batted her eyelashes at him, expecting he would sweep past her as he usually did. Instead, he approached the counter.

"We need to discuss finding me a new regular." He thought she would be pleased that he'd come to her to find a new whore instead of going to a different brothel. Instead, her face darkened.

"What? Why?" She glanced up at the ceiling as if she could see right through it and into the rooms above. "It's your choice o'course, but I'm sure we can work this out." Her wand flicked out and sent a charm upwards. "After all, you've never seemed dissatisfied before."

Severus blinked at her in confusion. No, he hadn't been dissatisfied with the last girl she'd found for him (aside from the final outcome, which she wasn't aware of), which was why he was giving her the chance to find him a new one instead of taking his business elsewhere. There were soft steps on the stairs behind him and he turned to see H descending the steps in a black corset and thong with thigh-high stockings and heels.

"You!" he thundered at her. Madam Peony blanched, wondering if she'd done the wrong thing by bringing the girl down. She'd thought that perhaps- "What the hell are you doing here?"

"She works here, o'course," the proprietor forced a laugh. "Are you feeling quite alright, Master Potione?"

"I-" Hyacinth started to speak but stopped when he took a step towards her.

"You were supposed to be gone." The two stared at each other for a long, tense moment.

"Gone?" Madam Peony broke the pregnant silence. "Otch, no. She's still got years left on her contract. Our arrangement can go on as long as you're interested." Severus turned to look at the woman in disbelief, then back at Hermione.

"Years?"

Hermione felt as if her whole world had crumbled around her all over again. She refused to meet his eyes and merely nodded. She didn't see his fists clench and unclench slowly, but Madam Peony did. She wondered what in the bloody hell was going on between the two of them. Whatever it was, Hyacinth needed to get her act together. If the girl cost her the deal with the potions master, there would be hell to pay. He stalked toward Hyacinth and grabbed her upper arm roughly. "Upstairs," he ordered her harshly. Madam Peony thought about calling a reminder after him that if he marked her he would owe her a greater discount for the week, but thought better of it. It would probably just make him madder, and the girl had already had a rough week.

They were closed in Hermione's room with the door warded before Severus let go of her arm and unleashed his temper on her. "What the hell does she mean that you've got years left?"

Hermione turned away from him, trembling with emotion. "What do you care? You made it clear last time you were here that our arrangement was at an end. Find another woman you'd rather spend your nights with."

"Answer me, dammit!"

"She extended my contract!" Hermione confessed angrily. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks despite how hard she fought them back. "I thought when she renewed my contract last year that it was another two year one. Apparently it was five. I don't have enough money to buy it out."

"Thought? You thought it was a two year contract? You didn't read it before you signed it? Stupid girl! What did you expect her to do when you left yourself open to such simple trickery?"

"Why do you care?" she demanded again, nearly screaming at him. "You think I haven't thought that a thousand times since she told me? You think I haven't castigated myself enough? There is nothing you can say that will make me feel more stupid and worthless than I already do!"

Severus felt his chest tighten to the point of pain. Worthless? He hadn't said that. He hadn't meant that. His attachment to H was fogging his mind, muddling his thoughts. "Take off the charm," he ordered her sharply. He needed to see her face, remember exactly who she was.

"What?" She was taken aback at the abrupt change in tack.

"Take it off. Let me see your face."

"No!" He'd already made it clear that seeing her face repulsed him. She wasn't going to give him more fodder in their fight. He drew out his wand, preparing to cast Finite Incantatem at her. "Wait! Fine." She plucked her own wand off its spot on her forearm and carefully removed the charm. Severus sighed in relief as her real features came into view. Some of the tension he'd been feeling began to abate. He was about to start berating her for her foolish actions when he realized there was still a waver of magic over her face. He frowned. Had she been wearing a glamour as well as an anonymity charm?

Without giving her time to realize what he was about to do, he cast Finite Incantatem at her face. It hit her soundlessly, but she blinked and stumbled back, not prepared for the buzz of a spell to hit her. She shook her head to clear it and then glared at him. "What the hell-" she stopped at the look on his face. He was staring at her as if he was livid with rage. She took a step back from him unconsciously. He reached her in only two long steps and tipped her chin up. His touch was surprisingly gentle, considering the look on his face bespoke murder.

"When did this happen?" he growled. She lifted her hand to her temple, realizing the wordless spell he'd cast at her had negated the effects of her glamour. Shame colored her face scarlet and she fought to free her chin from his hand, but he held her firm.

"A few days ago," she tried to sound casual but her voice betrayed her by wavering. The John had blackened her eye and bloodied her nose. It hadn't been her worst beating in the brothel, but it had been close. The roots of her hair were still tender from where he'd jerked her around by them. Most painful, though, was the tightness in her ribs that had been the result of several blows to her torso.

Severus took several deep breaths through his hooked nose, fighting to contain the fury coursing through him. "The potion. The one I gave you the name of. Why didn't you put it in the transference box?" She only looked at him. "Or a healing potion. Fuck, anything! Have you even taken a pain potion?"

"I can't affor-" her voice wavered so violently that she stopped speaking to stifle her sob. If he were still S, she would have buried her face against his chest and found solace in his embrace. But S was gone. Standing before her was Severus Snape. She jerked her chin free of his hold and turned her back to him. "Our arrangement was finished. You made that very clear. I've taken what I could buy from Madam Peony. This is none of your concern."

"None of my concern?" His chest rose and fell sharply with emotion. "None of my concern? Then I'll make it my fucking concern." He grabbed her by the arm again and pulled her from the room. She stumbled along behind him, trying to keep up with his long, hurried strides.

Madam Peony had been considering turning in for the night when she heard the commotion above her. A moment later, Master Potione appeared on the stairs dragging Hyacinth behind him. He looked livid, and rather than at Hyacinth, his ire seemed directed at her! She fingered her wand under the counter.

"How many years are left on her contract?" he demanded.

"What?" What in the bloody hell was he on about?

"Her contract! How much is the time left on it worth?"

"I- I'm not sure..."

"Think carefully, woman, and don't lie to me."

Angry at herself for feeling cowed by him, she straightened her spine. "Four and a half years, so forty five hundred Galleons."

"You are going to accept five thousand to sell her contract to me, and we will be finished with all dealings between us."

"But-"

"But nothing!" He cut off her protest with a snarl. Madam Peony saw how volatile he was and decided to back off. She was loathe to see his business (and the profit it made her) go, but she knew when to bow out of a battle. If he was willing to buy the rest of Hyacinth's contract outright, then she would make more than enough money on the deal to satisfy her. "Go and get your personal effects," he ordered Hermione. She only gaped at him. "Now!"

"She hasn't any," Madam Peony informed him. No need to let him yell at the poor girl without cause. "The shirt she wore when she arrived, perhaps. Nothing else."

"Nothing?" The incredulity in his voice was clear, but it was laced with sorrow. Madam Peony raised a brow. Sympathy? From the raging madman in front of her? Without another word, he Disapparated. Up in her room, he grabbed the nightshirt she wore, and shrunk the transference box small enough to shove in his pocket. Then he Apparated back downstairs. "Take that off." When Hermione would have protested, he stripped her naked with his wand right there in the foyer. Quickly but carefully, he put the worn night shirt over her head as if dressing an errant child and covered her with his cloak. "To seal our deal," he said, holding out his hand to Madam Peony. They both palmed their wands and then shook. Together, they repeated their aspects of the exchange and bands of red shot out to encircle their arms. In a flash, it was done. "The funds will be transferred to you in the morning. I expect none of this exchange to be made gossip fodder among the madams."

She nodded, and just like that, they disappeared. Madam Peony was left standing alone in the foyer, gobsmacked at the sudden turn of events. After a moment, she turned and headed to her bed, shaking her head at the strangeness of people and thinking that the charm Hyacinth wore made her look just like Hermione Granger.