When Hermione saw who was standing in the doorway, her blood froze. She should have been happy that she was saved from Malfoy - but the presence of this man at this hour with these words could only mean one thing.

"What are you doing here" Draco asked furiously.

"I've invested money and I don't want it to be for nothing," came the simple answer.

Hermione was paling, for that statement proved her right in her fear. Her former classmate now also seemed to understand, because he looked back at her as she was still lying underneath him.

"So, you do like older men?"

"Eat shit, Malfoy!" she hissed. "And get off me!"

"I couldn't agree more, Draco," Snape said stoically. "Would you please let go of your father's property so I can recoup my investment?"

Reluctantly, Draco Malfoy sat up and took his hands off Hermione's body. She would have felt relief if the figure of Severus Snape had not hung as a threatening shadow in the door frame - and if his intentions had not been revealed so clearly. She watched motionlessly as one man stood up and walked past the other out the door.

A short, for her uninterpretable exchange of glances took place between them before Draco snorted and took off. Only when Snape approached her Hermione found the strength to move. Seeking protection, she reached for her blanket, pulled it to her chest and looked defensively into the eyes of the black-haired Death Eater in front of her.

"Who would have thought that Draco would ever rise up against his father's will, eh?" Snape asked in an almost chattering tone. Carelessly, he glanced across the tiny room before kneeling before her and looking at her.

Hermione pulled the blanket even tighter, as if this thin piece of cloth could protect her from what was coming. But the man in front of her showed no more movement. His gaze lay on her, didn't move away from her face, but at the same time was indistinct. Just when Hermione thought Snape had changed his mind, he grabbed her and forced her back into a lying position.

"So, Lucius has obviously informed you of my purchase."

Hermione shook her head. That she had been sold, yes, she knew that - but that of all people her former Potions professor would be the buyer! The man who had enslaved Ginny, who had made all the terrible things that happened in the last few weeks possible by killing Dumbledore - this man was the last person she would expect to take an interest in her of all people.

"Then it was the much-praised mind that told you why I'm here, hmm?"

Without waiting for her answer, Snape tore the blanket away, grabbed her nightgown and pulled it roughly over her head. With a panic that was far more real in the face of a man whose aim was so obvious, Hermione rebelled against him, but with an iron force Snape held her captive. Like Draco before him, he needed only one hand to hold her arms above her head and used the other to undo the buttons on his trousers. Desperate, Hermione kicked around, and for a brief moment she managed to distract her attacker.

The short moment was enough to free her wrists with all her might, give Snape a hard jolt against the shoulder, and push him off without consideration. Just as she was about to roll herself off the mattress, he already recovered and grabbed her unruly locks.

"You've always been wilder than is good for your own health, Granger," he breathed softly into her ear as he pulled her back to him by force.

Whimpering with pain, Hermione stopped her flight and had to helplessly let Snape pull her backwards against his chest.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," he added, without loosening the grip in her hair.

Meanwhile his other hand found its way around Hermione and grabbed her breast firmly. The Death Eater's quiet breathing behind her, the almost unbearable pain of the excessive pull on her hair, the cold hand kneading her breast, and especially the hard cock pressing against her hips made her groan.

As if her moaning was a sign, Snape pulled her head a little further to one side to expose her narrow neck. Hot lips pressed against her neck, teeth bit painfully into her throat and the second hand moved between her thighs.

Once again that evening her legs were pushed apart and this time, she lacked the strength to resist. Kneeling, held upright only by the firm grip in her hair, her arms stretched helplessly from her, Hermione could not resist as Snape began to push first one, then two fingers into her and penetrated her deeply. With each thrust, he seemed to push the air out of her lungs, a wheeze escaped her.

"Please," she begged in a final effort, "please don't do this... please!"

But the older man was unmoved. He released her hair, pushed her forward on the mattress and then grabbed her hip with both hands. Hermione buried her face in the hard cloth while she felt Snape push his trousers aside behind her and rub his now naked cock against her cheeks. She reached for the carelessly thrown away blanket, looking for something to hold onto.

For a second it seemed as if Snape was hesitant, as if he looked around, but the briefly flickering hope died immediately. He pushed into her with force, giving her no time to relax, to recover from the shock and pain. All thoughts disappeared from Hermione's head, only the endless pain in her abdomen and between her legs dominated her world.

Behind her, Snape held her hips firmly, pulling her bottom closer with every thrust. The pain-distorted groaning that came from Hermione with each thrust was mirrored by his deep moans. Again and again, he pushed into her, pausing only to turn her around and, kneeling between her thighs, resume his rhythm.

Her hands now clawed into the sides of the mattress, but she could not take her eyes off Snape's face. He stared at her, uninhibited, impenetrable, with the same iron mask as always. Only the sweat that built up all over his body and the moans veiled in lust testified to the crime he was committing.

Hermione wanted to turn her head to the side to avoid his gaze, but immediately a hand was there, grabbed her chin and turned her back forcibly. She stared into his eyes, desperate to find any sign of sympathy, any sign of emotion. But there was nothing. Just blackness. As if he had closed himself off from her.

She felt his movements accelerate; his moans became louder as his eyes closed. It would be over soon. Perhaps, if she just closed her eyes and tried to think of a faraway place, she could forget what was happening.

"Granger..."

As if he himself was shocked by the sound he had made, Snape paused, opened his eyes, and looked directly at her again. Exhausted, she returned the look. A flicker of something appeared in his eyes.

And suddenly, his lips were on hers. With a passion she could not explain, Severus Snape kissed Hermione, and at the same time resumed his rhythm. His hand, which had previously held her hip, searched for her breast, kneading it, while the other reached into her hair again and pulled her closer.

Between kissing and moaning, his movements suddenly became uncontrolled - and then Hermione felt him tense for a moment before he sank down on her, completely exhausted, breathing heavily and with his eyes closed. But quickly, Hermione felt the energy return to Snape and he rolled away from her. Unable to move herself in any way, she watched as he straightened his trousers, gave her one last, brief look, and then left the tiny room.

She could not even cry. Hermione just lay there, staring at the ceiling above her. He had really done it. The blackness around her suddenly seemed incredibly oppressive. She didn't want to lie there anymore, alone, naked, in the darkness. But still her body refused to move a muscle. Even when a sound from outside alerted her, she remained motionless.

Without warning, her room lightened up. Blinking, she turned her head to spot the intruder. It was Lucius Malfoy who stood before her, staring at her naked body.

"You can't serve breakfast like that tomorrow, Granger!" he proclaimed. "Come on, you're going to take a shower right now!"

Using all her willpower, Hermione followed her Master to a guest toilet a few doors down, which also contained a small shower.

"You have five minutes to wash off the blood and other dirt," he commanded without showing any sympathy.

Too tired to attach any significance to what was happening, she followed his instructions. No sooner was she finished and dripping, stepping out of the shower cubicle, than Lucius Malfoy handed her a potion.

"Here, I don't want to see little Mudblood children scurrying about here in nine months. Drink it."

She followed this order without resistance, too, only to return to her cubbyhole without a word and sink into a deep, dreamless sleep.

oOoOoOo

He'd put something in her contraceptive potion, Hermione was sure of it. Otherwise she couldn't explain how she had fallen asleep so quickly after the events of the previous night. She knew she should be grateful for the peace and quiet she had received, yet it gnawed at her that Lucius Malfoy was so prepared. Was he planning to use her more often for such services in the future and earn money with it? But she forced herself not to think about it. She would simply not think about last night, she would forget what had happened as best she could, just pretend it never happened.

With this firm resolution in her head, Hermione entered the dining room, where the family would be coming down for breakfast in the next few minutes. But to her horror, the room was not empty: Severus Snape sat on one of the chairs, read the newest edition of the Daily Prophet, and drank his first cup of coffee. When he noticed her presence, he looked up at her briefly and nodded at her.

"Don't stand there like rooted to the spot, come here and sit with me," he ordered her.

Discomfort rose in Hermione. She didn't want to approach this man, she didn't want to sit next to him, talk to him or even think about him. Snape noticed her hesitation and, sighing, put the newspaper out of his hand. For a moment he seemed to think, then he stood up and went to her himself. She involuntarily retreated, but behind her was only the wall. He leaned one hand next to her on the wall and slowly bent down to her.

"Tonight was not a very nice night for you," he started quietly, but before he could continue, the door at the other end of the hall opened and Lucius Malfoy and his family entered.

"Ahh, good morning, Severus!" Malfoy greeted his guest in a good mood, "I see you accepted our offer and stayed overnight. Did you sleep well?"

Snape quickly straightened up again and turned to his host. With a side glance at Hermione, he replied, "Yes, of course - who could not sleep well in this house?"

The meaningless chitchat that followed this greeting could not hide the fact that every single person in this room kept eyeing her, secretly or openly, during breakfast. She felt the looks resting on her, sometimes cold, sometimes calculating, sometimes actually mixed with hatred. She wanted to run away, hide somewhere and not be exposed to open contempt. She was aware that everyone in the room knew why Severus Snape had come back to Malfoy Manor late at night, and this caused her nausea.

In particular, Draco Malfoy's cold stare frightened her.