Bound to Him

by georgesgurl117

At the behest of Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape is forced to commit a deplorable act against one who should have been under his protection. Bound by Dark Magic, he and Hermione Granger must learn to trust one another and themselves as they work together to thwart the dark plots surrounding them.

21. Renewing Bonds

A/N: Since it's my birthday today, I figured I'd work extra hard to get this done and posted - my gift to you. Ha ha.

This chapter is a bit darker than some of the preceding ones...and honestly, I didn't think it was going to take me 21 chapters to get here. So thank you for putting up with the slow pace. It's going to be a LONG one.

Thanks especially to my reviewers: Startled Boris, Sisterhood, DedicatedReader, hnwhitlock2000, Raven Potter Weasley, JordanGoombette, hot4preacher, Lover of Fantasy, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, tennis14321432, KittyPimms, Lil Tine, HPFanGirl01, Tilly, Mel, Odile1001, sev01, ultimanoapte, Slytherin-Me, MadamigellaSnape, Dial595escape! I'll try to finish responding to them soon!

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Bound to Him

Chapter 21

When Hermione crawled into bed that night, she was completely exhausted. She had spent hours working to recognize and fend off his mental assaults. Snape, of course, had used the time to his advantage - preparing ingredients, completing brews, and scratching lines into a worn leather journal.

Yawning, she remembered how anxiety had twisted through her gut as she watched him calmly go about his business. There would be no warning before he struck - that much he had told her. He had also said that until she could properly hone her senses, she would never know he had been there. That was the thing that scared her the most. It was agonizing enough to allow him in during sessions, but the thought of someone - even the kind-hearted Dumbledore - entering without her knowledge or consent made her feel vulnerable and violated.

Those feelings were what motivated her to push through the session with Snape. She had been more than determined to succeed, and for the first hour or so, she made sure to keep her shields up at all times. She had thought that with her complete focus, she would be alerted to his presence.

Apparently she had been wrong.

She heard Snape sigh loudly as he stirred a handful of chopped figs into the cauldron. Tapping the rod gently on the side of the cast iron, he reached for a small cloth and then wiped the rod clean.

"Miss Granger," he stated coolly, his eyes never straying from his work, "it is foolish, at this point, for you to utilize Occlumency constantly. Occluding drains your magic and your energy. Your opponent would only have to outwait your stamina. Seeing as Legilimency takes much less effort, you would find yourself at a great disadvantage."

Hermione let out a large gust of air. "Didn't you say earlier that I should keep my guard up at all times?"

"Your guard, yes," he answered huffily. "Not necessarily your occlusion. You need to always be conscious of your surroundings and possible exposure, but you cannot waste your powers and still expect to live for any extended period of time."

She closed her eyes and pictured Mad Eye Moody shouting, 'Constant Vigilance!' Slowly lifting her eyelids, she stared at the back of his robes. "Can I ask how you do it?"

His look was thoughtful as he turned towards her. After a brief pause, he spoke in an honest tone. "I have been doing this since you were born - even then it seemed second nature to me. As the years have passed, I've built up a tolerance, if you will, to the amount of energy being expelled. When I started, however, I would look for the signs and then begin actively occluding. It minimized any wasted efforts."

"And what exactly are the signs?" she huffed impatiently.

"That you must figure out for yourself." Raising an eyebrow, he moved to the preparation table where he began untying bundles of herbs.

With a grunt, Hermione settled back into her chair. "How many times?"

She could hear him pause in his work as he regarded her question. "How many times what?"

"How many times, Professor, did you enter my mind since we began this exercise?"

"Ah," he muttered, arranging the leaves in front of him by size. He turned his head just enough so she could see the smirk on his lips. "Five."

From then on it had become some sort of twisted game between them, as he had suddenly begun shouting out numbers throughout the afternoon, and she would groan or curse in return. She realized now that she had no way of knowing whether he had entered her mind as many times as he claimed, but at the time, each new number he boasted had only served to spur her on. Her frustration had run high, but by the time he reached "Twenty-three!", she had started to notice the pattern. There was a small sensation that seemed to pull at the edge of her conscience, and it had seemed to predate many of his shouted numbers. When she had felt it again, followed closely by his claim of "Twenty-four!", she knew she had him.

There it was again - the nudging.

"Twenty-five," Hermione stated calmly. A smirk was desperately fighting to be expressed as she watched Snape halt his cauldron work and slowly raise his head.

"Very well, Miss Granger," he sighed strangely. He glanced back at her through the hair that had fallen into his face, the corner of his lips slightly raised into the hint of a smile. "You seem to have finally caught on. Next time, do something about it."

Hermione sighed as she rolled onto her stomach. It was the only way she had any chance of sleeping as it reduced the pressure on her lower back. Her body seemed to be completely devoid of energy, yet her mind would not stop running through everything. She wished desperately for the darkness of the night to claim her and to give her a reprieve from her worries. Her anxiety had been on high alert since she had left his office that night.

The last few hours had passed torturously slow. Snape had left her to sit in apprehension, waiting for him to attempt another mental assault. Time had seemed to creep by as she had nothing to focus on save for the tinklings and clatterings of his potions work. When supper had arrived, she had been ready for him to try again. Snape, however, did nothing but command her to eat everything on her plate. It had been the first honest meal she had ingested in weeks, and the food sat like a rock in her stomach as she spent another hour in nervous silence. When he had finally struck, though, she had been more than ready, throwing up her mental shields before he had the chance to enter.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Hermione ignored a random flare-up of pain. She tried instead to focus on the satisfaction she achieved by besting the Order spy at his own game. The satisfaction that had been short-lived, however, as it had been chased away by the last two reminders he had given her.

Tomorrow was September first , and for the first time in her life, Hermione Jean Granger was dreading the school year. She was not really worried about classes, strangely enough - she was looking forward to them as a distraction from everything else. What was upsetting her, though, was the impending loss of privacy. Gryffindor tower had been her safe haven the past two weeks, mainly because she could escape to solitude. Within twenty-four hours, however, the Common Room would be crawling with rowdy students, the stairwell would be occupied by hormonal teenagers in various displays of affection, and even her room would be invaded by two other girls and their personal issues. The seventh-year Gryffindor prefect, Mathina Lewis, tended to keep to herself when in their room, but the incoming fifth-year prefect had yet to be revealed to Hermione. She silently prayed it was someone quiet who was not inclined to pry.

Who am I kidding? She groaned, flipping onto her side. This is Gryffindor, not Ravenclaw.

As her thoughts then turned to her friends, Hermione buried her face in the crook of her arm. Ron and Harry would be there tomorrow. Guilt began to churn in her gut as she realized she was almost afraid to see them. Normally she would be bubbling with anticipation, but this year was different. It was not that she was not excited to have them back, because she did miss them terribly - and Ginny, too. Her hesitation, though, stemmed from all of the lies she knew she would have to tell.

That was the other thing of which Snape had informed her earlier. Her morning was to begin with a meeting in Dumbledore's office. They were to discuss exactly what she could share with her friends, and, as the Potions Master had knowingly predicted, she would have her first chance to test her Occlumency against the Headmaster's probing curiosity.

Hermione let out a frustrated moan. She wrapped her arms around her pillow, staring into the dark until her eyelids finally became heavy and drooped closed.

X x x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X

"Severus, my boy, stop pacing," Dumbledore said with a small grin. "Before you wear a hole in my carpet."

The younger man rolled his eyes, but complied with the request. He stepped over to an armchair and collapsed into it.

"Surely you cannot be this upset that she's a few minutes late." The Headmaster's eyes held a knowing gaze. "Seeing as you've been pandering to her schedule thus far."

His subordinate glanced at the door with a sigh. "She is taking longer than expected, seeing as she's been awake for some time now."

Dumbledore ignored the comment, knowing it was not the cause for his frustration. "You doubt her ability to hide the truth from her friends, then?"

Snape shook his head and nervously began drumming his fingers on the armrest of the chair.

The elder wizard watched him carefully for a long moment before the light of realization struck. "You're worried about the re-committal."

Severus sighed with a slight nod and lifted his gaze. "I fear it may have to occur sooner than originally thought."

At the Headmaster's lifted brows, he continued. "She could hardly sit still yesterday without grimacing in pain. And you should have seen how long it took her to finish one bloody plate of food. I had to re-warm the damn thing three times before she was done!"

"Careful, Severus, you're starting to sound like you care."

Snape fixed him with a cold glare. "Albus, I had to use a spell from the Dark Ages just to heal a minor fracture in her hand."

The old wizard took in a long breath and stroked his beard. "Will she come to you when its time?"

"She has been instructed to do so," the Potions Master answered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Whether she does so before it's too late remains to be seen. I've found her to be quite stubborn."

"As are you, my dear boy," Dumbledore chuckled. "As are you."

With a disdainful snort, Severus drifted his gaze to the corner of the room. A soft knocking, however, soon had both men's attention turning towards the door.

"Please do come in, Miss Granger!"

At the Headmaster's acknowledgement, the door creaked open to reveal Hermione's pale features.

"I apologize for being tardy, Professor." She stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind her.

The two wizards rose from their chairs, and Dumbledore waved her forward. "Nonsense, my dear girl. We have plenty of time. It allowed Professor Snape and I time to talk of other things."

"Oh," she nodded and began walking towards the proffered chair.

Taking note of her cautious, stiff movements, Severus sent a pointed glance at the grey wizard. Dumbledore gave a soft sigh and nodded in acknowledgement. "How are you feeling today, Miss Granger?"

Hermione met his kind blue eyes and shrugged as the two men took their seats. "Alright, I guess."

"You must be looking forward to having a few more friendly faces around the castle, yes?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"Erm, yes," she responded, shifting nervously under the weight of Snape's stare. "I suppose so."

As she chanced an apprehensive glance in Snape's direction, she began to notice a tickling sensation at the back of her mind. It was different from what she had felt the day before - more forceful, even, than Snape had been with her. A deep scowl crossed her face as she threw up all of her mental shields and turned to face the Headmaster. "Perhaps we can get to the reason I am here, sir. I would like to know exactly what I am allowed to tell people about my...summer."

"Oh, well...Of course." Dumbledore blinked in surprise and cleared his throat. He sent a quick, calculated glare towards Severus, who feigned innocence while struggling to hold back a grin. "I have already informed the staff that you had been granted early access to the school after an attack took place at your home."

Hermione narrowed her brows, and leaned forward. "And the Order? What all have you told them?"

"I apprised them of the situation shortly after I did the staff. That being said, however, they know little more than do the rest of your professors."

"So, you didn't tell them...they don't know about...about this?" she asked, gesturing between herself and Professor Snape.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a deeper voice. "As I am still capable of walking on my own, Miss Granger, it is quite obvious they do not."

"I suppose that's true," she muttered quietly, immediately picturing what Mrs. Weasley's possible reactions would be. None would end particularly well for the dour Potions Master. She quickly shifted her gaze back to the older man. "Professor Lupin seemed not to be aware my parents were murdered. Am I not to tell anyone that?"

The Head Wizard seemed somewhat hesitant as he very briefly flicked his eyes towards Snape. "As of now, I feel it safer no one knows that. Lord Voldemort is under the impression that I believe Professor Snape was able to remove them from the home before harm came to pass. However false this may be, it is better that this be the official story."

"Exactly how would that be...better?" Unable to sit any longer, Hermione moved to stand behind her chair and then leaned against it. While she stared at the elder wizard, it was Severus who answered.

"If it were to be known that you - the most likely to be targeted - were the only one spared in the attack, it may seem rather...conspicuous. Certain paranoid individuals would undoubtedly suspect that your presence here could be part of a plot by the Dark Lord."

"Which it is," Hermione sighed mournfully.

Ignoring her, the man continued. "If it were believed, however, that your parents are still alive and that the planned attack was foiled, you would find yourself under less scrutiny."

And it makes you look better in the eyes of the Order, she thought angrily, if they believe you saved them.

"I will not deny that," he responded coldly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes into a glare and pushed away from the chair. She crossed her arms as she began to pace. "And Harry? What does he know?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Your friends have been kept informed by Molly and Arthur Weasley. They are aware of an attack at your home, and that you have been kept under our protection since. That is all they know, and that is all they will know until I have decided otherwise. Do I have your agreement on that?"

"Fine," she hissed, coming to a sudden stop. "Not that it matters anyway since he's already commanded my silence on the issue!"

Severus remained impassive as she pointed towards him with tears slipping down her cheeks.

"It's as much for your safety, my child, as it is for his." The Headmaster's tone was calm as he rose from his chair. He walked around his desk, quickly making his way to her side and guiding her to a seat on the sofa. He took a seat beside her and gently took her hands in his. "You do understand this?"

She nodded twice and blew out an irritated breath. Dumbledore offered her a small smile and patted her hands before rising from the couch. He had begun to walk away when she wiped her eyes and found her voice again.

"So if I am to pretend my parents are alive, sir, and I cannot tell them of my Occlumency lessons, then what exactly am I to have been doing for two weeks?"

The old wizard spun to face her, a concerned look upon his face. "My dear girl -"

A throat clearing interrupted him, and caused the two of them to look in Snape's direction. "I seem to recall you having a penchant for filling your head with all the knowledge you could possibly get your hands on. And, if I'm not mistaken, there just happens to be a room with a multitude of books -"

"You expect me to tell them that I spent the last TWO WEEKS in the LIBRARY?" Hermione launched off the couch, wincing as a surge of pain blasted through her body. "That, instead of grieving for my parents and having my mind ripped open repeatedly, I've been READING?"

"Please calm down, Miss Granger," Dumbledore requested, grabbing hold of her arm as she tried to shoot past him. "Severus does not mean to upset you. Naturally, if you have another believable option, I would be much obliged to hear of it."

Hermione took in several angry breaths as she glanced between the two men. She ran a hand through her tangled hair as she tried to think, but no other explanations came to mind. She did not know which pissed her off more - that Snape would suggest she spent the entire time with her nose in a book, or that her friends would undoubtedly accept it without question. A few moments passed before she sighed in defeat and collapsed back onto the sofa with her arms folded against her chest.

Dumbledore nodded quietly and seated himself in a nearby armchair. "It may seem you are alone in this, Hermione, but I assure you this is not true. I wish it did not have to be so, but you must see that it is for the best. If Voldemort were to -"

"I get it, Professor," she said curtly. "I really don't need any more reminders."

The Headmaster raised his eyebrow and briefly glanced back at the rigid professor staring out the window. He turned back to Hermione and gave a small sigh. "Well then, my dear, there's only a few things for us to discuss before you get back to your reading."

X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X

The sky was beginning to darken as Hermione made her way out of the library that evening. Her stomach was twisting violently as she pushed through the doors and stepped into the hallway. She found she was also sweating under the weight of her school robes.

It's just nerves, she assured herself. The announcement that had echoed through the corridors a short while before had stated the Hogwarts Express had safely reached the Hogsmeade station. Hermione had nearly jumped out of her skin as Professor McGonagall's voice filled the library, and it had taken her several minutes to get her heart back to a normal pace.

She bit her lip as she cautiously made her way down one of the staircases. Every step seemed to jar her body enough to send a shot of pain racing through her nervous system. To make matters worse, she felt as though she were coming down with a migraine.

It doesn't matter, she boldly decided as she paused upon the landing to glance out the window. Just fight through the pain, and you'll be fine. It'll be better.

As she caught sight of the tiny orbs of the carriage lanterns in the distance, she felt an enormous dose of excitement pulse through her body. Any hesitation she had felt about seeing her friends had long since melted away - she could not wait to have them back in her life. After all, since her parents were gone, they were the only family she had. An honest smile appeared on her face as realized they would be here momentarily. They would all go into the Great Hall together, watch the Sorting, and enjoy the Welcoming Feast - just like old times. With her friends there, perhaps she could forget about everything else for the evening.

When the line of carriages had nearly arrived at the castle, Hermione ignored the pain as she flew down the stairs as quickly as possible. By the time she touched foot in the Entrance Hall, she was so winded that she had to lean against the wall until she had caught her breath. Once she was once again able to breathe with her mouth closed, she waited anxiously until a throng of students entered the castle. Standing on one of the steps, she craned her neck to see above all of the heads until she spotted the three she most desperately wished to see.

Of course they were at the back of the line. She gave a small smirk at the thought. Probably were in the very last carriage, too.

When she had a clear enough path to them, she gave a small squeal and immediately vacated her position on the stairs. Before they could even register what was happening, she had thrown her arms around Ron's and Harry's necks and pulled them into the biggest hug she had ever given anyone.

"Oof, 'Mione." Ron turned his head and spit out a mouthful of her hair. "Nice to see you, too."

Hermione was fighting tears and had so far refused to let them go. "I've missed you all so much!"

"We've missed you too."

The reassuring pat Harry gave to her back nearly caused her to buckle in blinding pain, but she gritted her teeth and sucked in a steadying breath.

"Um, no offense, but you can let us go now."

She gave a short laugh at Ron's comment and quickly released the two boys. She wiped away the tears that had formed and gave a quick apology before turning to Ginny.

"We're so glad you're okay!" the redheaded girl exclaimed as Hermione pulled her into another hug. "We all were so worried about you and your family."

"Er, thanks," Hermione responded as she stepped back. "But let's not talk about that right now. What about you guys? What have you all been up to? How are you?"

"Much better now that we're back here," Harry answered.

"Yeah, definitely," Ron agreed with enthusiastic nodding. "Ginny's got news for you, though."

Hermione smiled and raised her eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Ginny nodded as she adjusted her robes so the red and gold badge could be seen. "Professor McGonagall made me a prefect!"

"That's fantastic! I'm so proud of you!" Hermione said with a grin. "We'll actually be roommates this year."

The younger girl smiled widely and nodded excitedly.

"'Spose we better head on in to the feast, yeah?" Ron stated. "Since the first years'll be here soon and seeing as we're all prefects now - 'cept for Harry of course. Gotta set a good example, you know."

"Uh-huh," Harry said quietly as Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically. "You are aware there won't be any food until after the Sorting, right?"

X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X

"Mione, you alright?" Ron asked after the feast had begun. His attempts to speak resulted in his spraying small specks of potato back onto the table.

Harry removed his gaze from Ginny who was happily chatting away with Dean Thomas, glancing first at her brother and then across the table to Hermione. "He's right - you don't look very good."

"I just..er...I think I'm coming down with something, that's all," she nervously stammered.

"Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey," Harry suggested as Ron nodded enthusiastically beside him.

"I'm fine," she hissed at them, glancing quickly down the Gryffindor table to make sure no one else had noticed. The happy faces and loud chatterings confirmed that no one had.

"You're not fine," her dark-haired friend pushed.

"Not at all," Ron agreed in concern. "I mean, look at you! You look like you just failed an exam. You're all pale and sweaty and - Hey!"

Harry glared at the redhead and removed his elbow from the boy's side. "She gets the picture, Ron."

"Oh, right," he whispered before glancing apologetically at her. "Sorry."

Hermione grimaced, wiping a sleeve across her forehead. She could only imagine what she looked like at present. By the time the Sorting Hat had finished its task, her symptoms seemed to have strengthened exponentially. Her pulse was now racing like a herd of wild horses, and she felt as though her entire body were on fire.

"Alright, fine!" she sighed. "I'll go after supper. Happy?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her, as he muttered, "Ecstatic."

Ignoring his sarcasm, she set her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands. A raging pressure was building behind her skull and she was beginning to wonder how long it would be before her head exploded.

"Are you seriously not going to eat anything?" Ron asked loudly while munching on something.

Glancing at him from between her hands, she grimaced as she watched the masticated 'whatever' rolling around in his open mouth. She could not help but feel nauseous. "I - I'm not hungry."

Harry rolled his eyes. "She doesn't feel well, mate. She probably doesn't want to eat anything, you know."

"Makes sense. Sorry again," Ron nodded before stuffing another forkful of food in his mouth.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and then discreetly glanced towards the Head Table. She had felt as though she were under surveillance since she first sat down, and now she knew why. Snape's dark eyes were trained on her. Shivering slightly - whether from her fever or from his stare, she could not be sure - she turned her attention back to her friends.

"Maybe you have the stomach flu?" Harry offered, concern etched upon his face.

"There's no such thing as a stomach flu," she answered with an irritated sigh. "Influenza causes a respiratory illness. Though, you could be on the right idea - I could have a stomach virus."

Harry and Ron shared an exasperated look.

"Well, at least we know she can't be that sick," Harry snickered.

Ron snorted loudly, and then shook his head. "Are you kidding? She'll be on her deathbed correcting everyone's grammar as they say their last farewells."

As the two of them hooted with laughter, Hermione sighed and reached for her water goblet. Within seconds she had emptied the entire glass, but she was dismayed when the cool liquid did nothing to aid her suddenly parched throat. She waited for the glass to refill itself, and then quickly downed its contents. When no further relief was achieved, she found herself again on the verge of tears.

"What in Merlin's name are you two blubbering on about?" Ginny shouted at the boys from several seats away. When they both answered, 'Nothing,' she shook her head and looked towards Hermione. "Hey, Hermione! Are you okay? You don't look so good. I've got some Pepper-up Potion upstairs that Mum sent if you -"

Hermione let out an irritated sigh and dropped her arms to her side. "I'm fine!"

Ginny frowned, but turned back to the conversation around her. Hermione knew full well, however, that her friend would undoubtedly be on her the moment they stepped foot into their room. Suddenly she was not so thrilled any more about Ginny being chosen as the fifth-year prefect. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and rested her head on the table.

"You're not fine, Miss Granger, nor do you have a stomach virus."

Her body jerked in surprise at the sudden appearance of his voice, and she mentally shouted at him to 'Go away!'.

"You know exactly what is wrong, and a Pepper-up Potion will sooner turn you into a newt than relieve you of your symptoms."

"Get out of my head!" She hissed angrily into her sleeve.

"Excuse yourself from the table. Now."

"What was that?" Ron asked, his fork halted in mid-air.

Crap. Hermione quickly lifted her head as she fought back tears. She searched for a logical response that would allow her to leave without one or both of them following. Before she knew it, she heard her voice responding. "I-er-I said, 'I need to get out and use the head.'"

"Oh," he nodded, blushing slightly and dropping his eyes to the table.

Sighing in despair, she rose from the bench. "I'll see you, tomorrow. Enjoy your dessert."

"What do you mean tomorrow?" Harry asked, eyes narrowing.

"I have a headache, Harry, and I feel like utter rubbish," she said forcefully. "I'm going to bed early. Someone else can handle my rounds tonight. If Professor McGonagall has a problem with that, I'll work it out with her later."

"I thought you were going to the Hospital Wing."

"You're not my mother, Potter," she hissed as she began to leave.

"That was weird," Harry muttered, as he and Ron watched her storm out of the Great Hall.

"Tell me about it, mate," Ron agreed, reaching for his pumpkin juice. "Since when does she call you Potter?"

The dark-haired wizard shook his head slowly as he continued to stare at the empty doorway.

"And when has she ever referred to the bathroom as 'the head'?" Ron took a quick swig of his juice and then gestured towards the door with his glass. "Somethin's up with her, I'm tellin' ya."

X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X

As soon as she was out of sight of the Great Hall, Hermione burst into tears. Her heart was pounding erratically, and panic was creeping in upon her chest.

It was so hot. Pulling at the fastenings of her school robes, she ran towards the stairs. She wished desperately to escape the heat that was rising exponentially, so she chose to make her way towards the dungeons, where she knew it to be cooler. She had made her way down two flights of stairs before she found her ability to balance was greatly compromised. Tightly latching onto the stone banister, she slowly staggered down another set of steps.

Every nerve fiber in her body was burning, and breathing was becoming exceptionally difficult for her. Lack of oxygen was causing the edges of her vision to become fuzzy, and still the heat rose. As she reached the nearest landing, she felt as though she could go no further. Stumbling over her own foot, she braced her arms to catch herself against the wall. She gave an involuntary sigh of relief at the bone-chilling temperature of the stone, and quickly pressed her whole body to it. Within a few seconds, her knees began to buckle beneath her weight and she started to sag against the wall.

Before she hit the floor, however, she was seized around the waist by a strong arm.

"No," she whispered harshly as he hauled her up to her feet.

"I told you to come to me when it was needed!" A rumbling voice shouted behind her. Hermione turned her head and raised her eyes to see the angry scowl of Professor Snape.

"No!" she shouted. "It's not necessary! Please - Just let me go!"

"I cannot do that, Miss Granger," Severus growled as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down another flight of steps. "You've left me no choice."

"Please no!" she cried, attempting to yank her hand from his. "Please!"

Snape hissed and pulled her to his chest. "Believe me, girl - I don't want to do this any more than you do. But seeing as neither of us stand a chance at survival if we forgo this -"

"I'd rather die!" she hissed. "Just let me die."

"If you cannot keep your voice down, I will not hesitate to silence you. I will not sacrifice my life so you can end yours in a pathetic display of histrionics."

"Please stop." Her voice was little louder than a whisper as she fell to her knees.

Severus glared as he tried to tug her along. "We will not do this where someone can come upon us. Now, get up!"

"I c-can't!"

"You can, and you will!"

"N-no," she whispered, "I mean I can't. Can't g-get up."

Glancing down in surprise, Snape realized her legs were no longer capable of supporting her body. He groaned loudly, but immediately heaved her squirming form over his shoulder and made his way to the nearest room. He knew time was now in short supply.

The first door he threw open led to an old, empty classroom. He quickly crossed to the front of the room and deposited her on top of the large desk. Wordlessly, he shut and locked the door and threw up silencing and privacy spells.

With his attention momentarily focused on the door, Hermione made an attempt to run.

"Don't you dare," he hissed, catching her as she leaped from the desk. "There's no getting out of this, Granger. It has to be done."

She whimpered as he lifted her back onto the desk. He used his body to keep her legs pinned against the drawer as he removed a flask from an inner pocket of his robes. He popped open the vial and handed it to her. "You'll want to drink this."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock at the grey liquid being handed to her. Her mind quickly shot to the passage she had read in his office.

'Olvideregrete is a dull grey, medium density, low viscosity fluid upon completion of the brewing...'

"No!" She shouted, slapping the bottle from his hands. The shatter of glass could be heard as it slammed into the wall.

Severus sighed as he stared at the mess that was dripping onto the floor. It was taking every fiber in his being not to fly into a rage. Closing his eyes, he pulled out another vial from his pocket. "I suggest you not destroy this one."

She was about to raise her hand again in protest, but stopped when she actually looked at the item in his grasp. Recognizing the salmon-hued potion as the contraceptive she had helped to brew, Hermione sighed dejectedly and snatched it from his hand. Choking back a sob, she opened the flask and quickly downed the liquid. She coughed a little in surprise - the potion was so sweet that it made her teeth hurt.

"Lie back," he instructed calmly, banishing the empty flask from her hand.

She had to swallow a lump that formed in her throat, but she then did as she was told. Slamming her eyes shut, she tried to picture herself anywhere else but there.

Snape took a deep breath and tried to quiet the churning in his gut as he reached a hand towards the girl. Gently, he lifted her school robes and skirt and pushed them up her thighs. He steeled himself to continue, attempting to shut out the disgust that had invaded every cell in his body. She was so sickly pale as she quivered before him. He could now tell how much weight she had lost in a small manner of time. Her hips were bony, and her knees knobbly - just like a child's would be.

Pushing that horrible thought from his mind, Severus swallowed nervously and began to unfasten his teaching robes. Letting those drop to the floor, he moved onto his trousers. Naked from the waist down, he stepped forward and began to slip her knickers down her thighs.

At his touch, an overwhelming panic erupted through Hermione. She was back in the clearing before Voldemort, and she had to fight to get away.

"No!" she shouted, as every limb flailed desperately.

"Hermione," Snape attempted in a cool voice. "You need to stop. I need to -"

His words ended abruptly as he had to quickly pull his head back to avoid being struck by her arm. A split second later, however, her foot connected with his midsection. He heard a crunching sound, and pain flared up his left side.

"Damn it!" He sucked in a agonizing breath, and doubled over. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he uprighted himself and grabbed hold of the thrashing girl. He shook her slightly as he shouted. "Open your eyes! Look at me!"

Her eyelids snapped open and he could see the terror residing in her pupils.

"We need to do this now, preferably before you go into seizures or lose consciousness. Do you understand?" His piercing eyes scanned her face until she gave a tiny whimper of acknowledgement. "It will be painful, but I will finish as quickly as I can."

She gave a small, tearful nod.

Quickly, Severus pushed her shoulders back against the desk and yanked her knickers down the rest of the way. Before she could allow fear to overtake her again, he slid her to the edge of the desk, wandlessly made himself erect, and gently began to push into her.

The scream that reverberated around the room could have broken glass, and he mentally cursed himself for not forcing her to do this earlier. If they had done this before the magic had a chance to set all of her nerve endings on fire, it undoubtedly would have made the encounter much less painful for both of them.

Every thrust elicited an agonized shriek from her, and it took every bit of effort on his part to keep going. She was writhing violently beneath him, forcing him to hold her in place to keep either of them from further injury. Breathing was already exceptionally difficult for him, as the cracked ribs burned with even the slightest movement.

But if she could fight through the pain, so could he. Closing his eyes and mentally shutting out all noise, he moved as quickly as he could. By some disturbing miracle, his body reacted favorably to the situation, and soon he felt a surge of pleasure as his semen released into her body.

He remained flaccid inside her for a few minutes while he fought to catch his breath. When he realized she had calmed in her movements, he threw his eyes open to find her staring at him in apprehension. With a small grunt, he slipped out from her and backed away towards the wall, grabbing the back of a chair for support.

Silence invaded the room, punctuated only by the sounds of their ragged breathing. Hermione remained absolutely still on the desk, and though Severus could feel her gaze was trained on his figure, he refused to bring his own eyes up to meet it.

A soft sniffling caught his attention, and when he finally gathered the courage to raise his head, a loud sobbing erupted from her body.

"Miss Granger," he whispered, wincing in pain. He reached a tentative hand towards her. "I am sor-"

"Don't touch me!" she shouted, rolling away from him and launching from the desk. Hermione sprinted towards the door - her cries becoming more desperate when she found she could not open it. She yanked on the handle several times before turning back to face him. "Let me out! Now!"

Snape swallowed painfully and nodded. With a flick of his wrist, his earlier spells were lifted and the lock clicked open. Before he could even take another breath, she had wrenched open the door and disappeared into the hall.

As the door slammed shut behind her, Severus fell to his knees and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the stone floor.