"He must not be home." Luna turned slowly under the cloak, pulling her hand back from the door.

"What do we do now?" Ron shifted to try and make room but his adjustment left the lower half of his legs exposed.

"I suppose we go back to hiding..." Harry felt all the hope he'd been building drain away. They were no closer to any of their goals and without Hermione, they were really at a loss. He'd never realized until then just how much she had kept them on track. Her ideas and theories pulling them from one place to another, keeping them safe.

"We need supplies, we'll have to find a place to hide until we can formulate a plan..." Harry glanced down the street as two snatchers turned towards them. "We need to get out of here..."

Just as the words had left his mouth he watched the two snatchers look in their direction. Luna shifted her head looking down at Ron's exposed leg. They were caught.

oOo

Severus groaned loudly pushing his face from the floor. He'd barely made it two steps before he had lost his meager breakfast. His body trembled as it struggled to follow his command and the room was more than on tilt. His head pulsed and the blood drying under his nose didn't help to quell the riot in his stomach.

He needed potions, he needed rest. His mind felt like swisscheese. A soft chime, like a tweeting bird, rose slowly over the pounding of his head and he carefully pulled himself up to his feet. His steps were unsure, shifted as though he were attempting to walk in an angled platform. His eyes blinked rapidly as the office slowly turned around him.

Finally, his shivering hand landed on the handle to his rooms and he gave it a rather harsh turn before making his way in. His body automatically moved in the direction of his potion cabinet, using the wall for support. He stared dumbly for a lingering minute at the empty space before him. He was meticulous by nature and that extended to every part of his life.

His potions were gone. His eyes closed tight as he tried to think of where they could be. The chime came again, simultaneously interrupting and appeasing his searching thoughts. The girl.

Severus snarled at the cabinet before pulling down a mild headache draught. He drank it slowly before turning carefully towards the closet. He took a moment to let the potion work before gingerly pushing himself fully onto his feet.

"Poppet..." His voice felt and sounded rough but it was no worse than his usual.

The house elf from before appeared instantly at his feet, trembling from head to toe. "Yes...master?

Severus looked down his nose at the pathetic creature. His top lip curling at the fresh burns over the tops of their hands. "What's wrong with the girl?" Severus lowered himself down onto the bench at the end of his bed taking a moment to try and calm his rising temper.

"I don't know master... she didn't like Poppet. No sir, she screamed and fell..."

"The...charm...did you set it off?" Severus winced and rubbed his temples. His leg jerked to the side as another residual wave hit him.

"No, sir." The little elf rung her burnt hands before glancing over to the potions cabinet.

"I'm out of-" Severus hissed as he pushed himself back up, "Silence that charm. I'm...going to make sure she's, not dying...Find me more pain relief potion. Pomphrey's stores surely won't miss a few vials."

"Yes, Master."

Snape sighed as the room went quiet. His legs dragged but he forced himself to the closet door. At the very least, he would make sure she wasn't bleeding out. After that, he really couldn't care.

Snape knocked twice on the door before slowly pushing it open. It took him no time to spot the small ball of wild hair trying to meld itself into the corner of the wall. Her head was down into her knees and she was oddly still though her fingers were flexing against her tightly wrapped arms.

"Miss Granger?"

No response.

Snape moved into the room closing the door behind him, the wood disappeared leaving a seamless wall in its place. His eyes flicked to the table still laden with her lunch before he felt his temper rising. It was a simple task. Eat.

His jaw twitched and his back pulsed. He made his way carefully around the bed before leaning down to take a firm grip on her arm.

"Miss Granger?" His eyes went wide when her arm shot out, the back of her bony hand hitting his nose with an impressive amount of strength. The hit actually made his already ringing brain strike noon and he felt a rage powering his movement.

Hermione cried out as she was suddenly pulled to her feet, her legs protesting more than anything. The muscles screamed as though they had been torn. The next thing to register was her back, then head, thumping back against the stone wall with enough force to make her ears ring. Her eyes turned up into furiously burning obsidian and her stomach dropped.

"P-p" Her attempt to speak turned into a deep grunt of pain. The hand that held her turned into a vice. She hadn't meant to strike him, it had been a mistake. She had been startled. Her body had reacted on impulse.

Severus used every single ounce of what was left of his control not to throttle the young woman who was slowly sinking down the wall. Her eyes had flashed with recognition and pure terror, making his stomach churn.

His eyes turned down to the bruising hold he had, knowing it was the only thing keeping her on her feet. A tremor ran through his body into hers and his dark eyes turned away from hers noting the pale skin and flushed cheeks indicative of high fever.

Severus snarled and pulled Granger roughly from the wall. He could feel the heat of her skin on his palm even through her shirt. Neverminding his own pain, he turned and half dragged her towards the door from which he'd come.

Hermione tried her best to resist but her mind was disconnected from her body. Her steps faltered before she clawed desperately at the arm that held her. Her knee buckling when she tried to push away. She wasn't sure why she didn't want to go, only that she didn't.

Snape sneered down at her pathetic attempts and quickly snatched her forward making her thump hard into his chest. He gave her no time to orient herself before he scooped her up into his arms.

His body screamed from the effort but only added fuel to the rage that had been burning inside him. Her squirming was weak at best and even with her small fingers pressing against his chest and cheek he found her simply too uncoordinated to rally a proper escape.

He kicked the hidden door open that led to the closet and forcibly pressed her chest against his; pinning her arms between them. Her soft grunts and whines left no imprint upon him as he continued through into the main chamber.

When her legs caught on the door frame, he dipped her body and turned but his hastened movement was miscalculated. Her knee hit rather firmly into the doorframe. Both he and she jumped from the impact and Snape had to take a moment to reform his hold.

"Be still!" His chest was heaving from the effort to keep her still. His nose had started to bleed again, forcing him to breathe through his teeth. His words had little effect on her efforts. Snape's eyes flared and he felt something inside snap.

The hand that held her shoulders against his chest shifted taking an extremely tight hold of her wild hair. "Stop this insolence at once."

Hermione gasped and froze, her fingers clinging tightly to his coat. The position was beyond uncomfortable and like a cat grabbed at the scruff of its neck, she instantly stilled. Her breaths came in sharp pants, her ribs aching with each attempt.

Satisfied by her submission, Snape turned his eyes towards the bathroom. He needed to lower her fever. The best and quickest way he knew was a shower.

oOo

"Everyone alright?" Harry panted as he pushed himself up from the forest floor. His eyes searching around him for the two he'd brought with him.

"Yeah...I think so..." Ron groaned softly and put a hand on the back of his head. One of the snatcher's chains had whipped him pretty good but thankfully he wasn't bleeding.

Harry looked over at Luna who was laying flat on her back, her eyes closed. His heart skipped a beat for a second before the blond carefully started to push herself up onto her elbows.

"I'm alright." She threw Harry a genial smile before dusting off some leaves that had fallen on her.

Harry nodded his head before bracing his hands on his knees taking a moment to collect himself. They needed to put up enchantments, and quickly.

Ron was thinking along similar lines and had started to turn. He continued to rub the back of his head while casting. Harry turned and helped Luna to her feet before the pair of them followed suit.

When all was said and done the three of them sat themselves down by the small fire they'd built and started to silently formulate a strategy.

"Harry." Ron's voice broke the tense silence and he came to his feet quickly. He took a few steps back, to try and get a wider picture in the mirror.

Harry made his way over, something cold filling his stomach from his friend's tone. His brows furrowed as he tried to understand what they were seeing.

Hermione's head was tilted back as water rained down over top. Her face twisted with fear and pain. Her mouth opened only to spit up the water that was running down her face.

Ron shifted and came back further revealing her bare neck and curled shoulders. His heart rose into his throat from the hand that came to her jaw pressing her head back into the stone tile under the spray.

"What are they doing to her?"

"I don't know...I don't know..." Harry swallowed thickly trying to find anything, anything at all that could give them a clue.

Hermione's body shivered again before the hand released her jaw. Her head turned down and both boys could tell she was crying, though the water washed away her tears.

Harry took hold of Ron's wrist lowering it down just a touch. Her chest was mostly bare, her arm wrapped tightly around the wrappings on her breasts. A hand held her tightly at her bicep, the white sleeve of the shirt they were wearing rolled up to the elbow.

"Is that a...?"

"Yeah, that's the darkmark."

The cold that had been growing inside Harry turned to frigid with fear. Hermione had indeed been captured, but by whom?

Ron shifted the mirror again but the man's body was obscured. He watched helplessly as Hermione trembled. Her other arm pushing weakly against the man's chest. Her legs quaked and appeared to be barely able to support her. He could make out black trousers and their bare feet but it wasn't enough. Hermione was in need of them, and they could do nothing.

oOo

"Pl-eas..." Hermione begged as her head was once again pushed back under the water. She felt cold and scalding hot all at the same time. The fever in her body left her mind spinning and she didn't know which way was up anymore.

"Just a little longer." Snape had started the tub but he didn't have time to wait for it to fill. He had originally planned to put her in the shower clothes and all but the charm he'd run revealed her core temperature to be 40c and thus changed his plans.

The water was lukewarm to his skin, enough to lower her temperature without putting her body into too much shock. Her skin felt like fire beneath his hands, even with the water raining down. He reached up pulling the shower head down before trying to lift her elbow. The girl let out another noise and made to pull away from the spray.

Snape growled, releasing her arm and instead helped her turn away from him. He let the spray run over her back and onto her neck. Though he really needed to get the water under her arms. He turned back to look at the tub that was more than halfway filled.

He'd added dye and herbs to the water to help bring her fever down, it would barely cover her erogenous zones but he knew he wasn't getting very far with the shower.

"Step back." His voice had lost some of its sharp edge. His temper having had abated from the two pain potions he'd downed before partially stripping her and forcing her into the shower.

Hermione didn't hesitate to the command, wanting to be out from under the water as quickly as possible. She stepped back into the feeling of a soft cloth wrapping around her shoulders.

Her head rolled back and her eyes tried to take in the face above her. A hand came down and she closed her eyes reflexively feeling a tingling on her brow. She heard the man mumble something before she felt herself being guided out of the shower.

Snape could tell the girl was caught in a daze. He kept hold of her shoulders while she compliantly started to walk over towards the tub. Her fever now 39.5. He felt reassured that his barbaric methods were having the desired effect.

He decided to let her keep the towel but banished away her knickers and the wrappings. Her step faltered at that and she wrapped her arms tighter around the towel, clinging to it as though it were life itself.

He stood her before the tub and with a wave of his hand stopped the water that had come to level. Wrapping an arm around her lower back, he took hold of her thigh just above the knee and forced her to take a step.

The tub was only partially inlaid and had a bench along the outside. He cast a no-slip charm before forcing her other foot inside the bath. When she turned and tried to cling to him he paused.

Her small fingers burned his skin when they slipped between the buttons of his dress shirt. His shirt was soaked from stepping into the shower with her and he was sure she could see straight through it.

"You have a fever, Miss Granger." He removed her hands from his person, keeping hold of her forearms. "Sit down in the water, you can keep the towel."

Tears mixed with the water that ran down her face. She looked pathetic, like a drowned cat. Snape felt a small bit of sympathy rising in his chest at her trembling form. Guilt quickly overshadowed the feeling when his eyes made out the distinct shape of his hand along her arm.

"Sit down, Miss Granger. You are not in danger." His voice grew softer with each word and by some miracle, the girl in his hold gradually started to acquiesce to his request.

Snape shifted down with her, taking to the rug beside the tub. When she'd lowered herself completely he pulled back his hands. In a rare moment of humanity, Snape found himself pushing back the hair that had come down to shield her fevered cheeks. The locks were dry and brittle beneath his callused fingers and he pondered the last time she had had a proper bath.

There was a tense silence between them only broken by the airy sobs that broke through her throat. Her head had turned down and her arms wrapped her knees tightly to her chest. Her body trembled heavily and Snape could hear her teeth clashing together.

His own body was protesting, his head felt like someone was trying to drive a nail through his temples. The muscles in his arms and legs were still burning from the force he'd exhibited to get her to the bath.

The Dark Lord was more irritable than usual. Something big was coming, he could feel it. He was sure he was going to question him on the elder wand's power before their meeting was interrupted.

The manor had been crawling with snatchers and deatheaters alike. Something was coming to a head, he just wished he had an idea of what it was.

Poppet appeared to his right, interrupting his thoughts. The elf said nothing holding out at least five vials. His eyes narrowed but he made a note to replace the potions before term restarted and Poppy would have returned.

He took all that was offered, drinking down three in quick succession. He gave back the three empty vials before waving his hand in dismissal to the elf. His eyes turned to the still simpering girl beside him and looked down at the vials in his palm. A fever reducer and strong pain reliever.

"Here..." Snape pulled the cork from the vial and offered it over the edge of the tub. His dark eyes watched her lift her head then her hand.

Her deep chocolate eyes shifted to his and he felt as though she were attempting to peer into his soul. His brows dipped low in confusion at the complex emotions they brought before he turned his eyes away to her hair.

"Do you want to wash your hair?"

Hermione's brow twitched to the sudden change. Her eyes flickering between his profile and the colored water in front of her. Her body continued to shiver and her hands had curled tightly into the seam of the towel. She wasn't sure she'd have the strength to complete such a task and a fear of asking the man who'd left marks upon her to do so did not seem all that appealing.

"I'll be gentle..." As if reading her thoughts the man beside her shifted his weight, leaning back to summon a bottle from the shower.

The haze of fever was still rather thick and it took a rather long time for her to fully process his words. She jumped when a cup of warm water came down over the top of her head and long fingers started to pull away the hair that had curled around her throat. Her eyes flicked again to his face, a small spark igniting in the back of her mind.

She knew this man. She'd known him for years. His features and stoic face were so familiar. She could feel small spider web like lines gradually moving through the empty void.

Snape didn't dare to look directly at her. The fatigue from his meeting leaving him in an odd but welcomed state of apathy. He knew he'd virtually, violated, abused and physically assaulted a student. The weight of his childish temper tantrum was not lost on him in the slightest.

The girl was ill. She'd been brutally tortured and left for dead. What had he done that was truly any different? He'd made the decision to bring her their instead of some possible safe house. He'd left her all day with barely any explanation. He'd taken her distress as a personal attack on his person and allowed himself to use her frail form as a moment of stress relief.

He was a broken man.

Hermione allowed herself to be led away by his touch. Something she was sure she shouldn't have done. Still, she was tired, more so now with the gentle scent of lavender rising up from the water. Her eyes started to droop but she pushed herself to stay awake.

When the hands returned and the smell of sage added to the air, Hermione pressed her head back into his hands. The small firm circles moving the soap through her mane relaxed muscles she hadn't even known were tense. Her eyes turned more fully to his face. It was bent with focus and she felt that little spark all over again.

"Pro...fess...or?"

Snape's internal self-depreciation paused hearing her rasping voice. His hands continued their task but he did spare her a glance to let her know he was listening.

"Why-re...you...doin'...-is?"

"You have a high fever." His voice was low as if he were trying to rationalize his own behavior to himself.

Hermione shifted, a rather strong shiver shaking her frame. Turning her head towards him, she tried to catch his eyes. That wasn't what she had been asking and she suspected, he knew it.

She closed her eyes reflexively when his hand came up to shield them. The water felt like ice, her entire body froze in place, too afraid to move and reawaken the numb nerves.

Snape did, in fact, understand her question but even he hadn't really understood what drove him. So instead he feigned ignorance. Better to play the fool than the hanged man.

His hands pulled back with a heavy sigh. If someone had told him he'd be running his hands through Hermione Granger's wet hair while she sat nearly nude in his bath he would have had them committed for insanity.

Snape turned away summoning his wand from where he'd left his jacket. He had almost left it on but hadn't wanted the added weight of its wet material to get in his way. He possibly just as much as she, felt exceptionally exposed.

When he turned back he found himself looking into soft eyes that were certainly not looking at his face. His brow furrowed looking at the arm that held the edge of the tub and frowned.

Even in a fugue state, the girl seemed to have some understanding as to who or what she should fear. Hastily, he pulled down the sleeve on the offending arm and raised his wand silently casting a spell over her hair making it plait itself.

"Tha-nk...you..." Hermione's eyes raised up, though the lids were heavy. She shifted from another deep shiver, making a face as the water moved around her. Her eyes, however, noted the faded pink of the blood that had washed from his face. Her observation only making the man beside her glance down with a sneer.

"How is your throat?" Snape brushed off her appreciation and pushed himself to his feet with a sharp hiss.

"Fi-ne..." Hermione wrapped her self up tighter, trying to suppress another shiver. Her own brows furrowing at the way he kept almost all his weight off his right side. Had she hurt him?