A/N: At long last! Finals are completed (straight A's!), I've started work, and I'm half unpacked in my new apartment. WooT. And to thank you for your patience, I've provided you with an action-filled chapter...and I mean action in every sense of the word!
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Bound to Him
Chapter 32
As Friday morning arrived, Hermione was feeling better than she ever had in the past few months. Her two weekly sessions with Snape had been dedicated only to physical defense, with the last session focusing solely on defending against non-verbal attacks. He had promised that there would be no further Veritaserum lessons until she could honestly claim that she was ready for them. She had wondered a few times whether that was solely for her benefit, or if the hesitation to try again was a mutual feeling. After all, he had seemed a bit relieved that she had chosen a defense session instead of a second attempt at Veritaserum. Whatever the reasons behind his decision, though, she could now approach their future meetings with much less apprehension. Her mood had been given an extra boost when he informed her that she would be able to resume her apparition lessons the following Monday.
On a more personal facet, her anxiety level had taken another substantial drop upon sighting the splotch of pink on the bathroom tissue that morning. At the sight of the blood, it had felt as though a large weight had been suddenly lifted from her shoulders. Never before had she been so relieved to start her cycle, and she left the bathroom with a smile on her face.
And now, as she stood facing Neville in the middle of the Defense classroom, she was basking in the calmness that accompanied her newfound sense of confidence. She gave the boy a sympathetic smile as he once again failed in his attempts to non-verbally disarm her. Instead, his wand only produced a sad stream of red sparks from the tip.
"Your turn, I guess," he mumbled, staring at the floor.
Hermione sighed and nodded. She gracefully extended her wand arm and completed the necessary motions while mentally shouting the command. Half a second later, Neville's wand was securely within her grasp, and he was slumping his shoulders in defeat.
"Don't worry about it, Neville," she said, crossing the space to hand back his wand. "You'll get it eventually."
"Eventually," he repeated. He glanced over to where Harry and Ron were practicing. When the redhead managed to knock Harry's wand to the ground, he gave an excited shout, and Neville shook his head sadly.
"Oh, don't pay attention to everyone else," she chided, folding her arms. "You need to focus on yourself."
"What do you mean?" the tall boy asked, turning back to her.
The girl took in a deep breath and mentally replayed the lesson that Professor Snape had given her several nights before. "Performing non-verbal magic is more difficult because you need to have a higher awareness of your inner magic. It takes more effort than verbal magic because you have to find alternative way to focus the magic. You can't just say it in your head and expect it to work, because it won't. You have to visualize with it. You have to show yourself what you want to happen, and you have to believe that it will happen. You have to have confidence, Neville. If you don't believe it will happen, it won't.
"So, try it again, and this time you're going to picture the wand flying out of my hand and you're going to confidently scream Expelliarmus in your head." She backed up several paces and then waved her hand. "Go on, now."
Neville let out a long sigh, but nodded his head and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, she saw him wave his wand and she felt a resultant tug at her own. As she glanced down at her hand, she watched her wand slowly slip from her grasp and clatter to the ground. When Neville opened up his eyes at the sound, she was beaming back at him.
"You dropped it on purpose," he said, his eyes wide with disbelief.
She shook her head forcefully. "No, I swear it. That was you."
"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath, gaping at his wand in astonishment.
Hermione smirked and picked up her wand from the floor. "Fancy another go?"
The boy nodded emphatically and raised his wand. After closing his eyes and swishing his wand, her wand flew out of her hand and clattered to the ground at his feet. Neville peeked down at it and then erupted into a toothy grin. "Can we do that again?"
She gave a small laugh and nodded her head. "You have to try it with your eyes open, though. You can't expect to close your eyes in a fight and live to tell about it."
"Okay," he agreed. He raised his wand and was about to try again, when she cried out.
"Neville, I need my wand back first!"
His face immediately became a shade of pink and he bent down to grab it. He grinned sheepishly as he handed it to her. "Sorry, Hermione. That probably would have hurt."
"A bit, yeah."
When he attempted the wordless disarming spell with his eyes open, the wand ripped out of her hand faster than before. As it flew through the air, he reached up and caught it.
"Bravo!" Lupin called out, causing the boy to blush again and Hermione to look up in surprise. The man stood from the desk he had been leaning against and clapped his hands. "It appears you all are starting to get the hang of this, and I think that that is an excellent way to end the week. Practice some over the weekend and be prepared to demonstrate your prowess on Tuesday."
Excited chatter broke out amongst the students as they returned their desks to their rightful places and began filing out of the classroom.
"Hermione."
The girl closed her eyes briefly as she zipped her bag shut. She let out a silent sigh and plastered a small smile on her face before turning to face the Defense instructor. "Yes, Professor?"
Remus smiled at her. "I just wanted to commend you on your handling of Neville. That was an exceptional method of teaching, and it certainly produced positive results. I must admit that I am a bit jealous of your approach to the topic. I doubt I could have taught him quite so well as you have. I would never have imagined anyone could pick it up as quickly as he just did."
Hermione bit down on her lip as she felt her cheeks flush. If only he knew that her little speech and suggestions were nearly verbatim to the ones Snape had given her – granted, her tone had been much more pleasant – and that she, as a result, had accomplished the task just as fast as Neville had. She doubted that Remus would have been so forthcoming with his praise if he knew the original source.
"I can tell you've been studying outside of class," he continued casually. "I am glad to see you back to your usual standards."
She held her breath, remembering that Snape had mentioned how the staff had been monitoring her academic performance. She winced internally at the image of her teachers crowded around a table, dissecting her life.
"I look forward to seeing your skills improve further this term," Lupin finished with a cheerful light in his eye.
The young witch forced a smile and nodded her head before turning away to catch up with Ron and Harry.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
"If you are uncomfortable with the task, we will delay the venture another week," Snape instructed as he held open a door for her and noticed the look of hesitation on her face. "We need not waste the time."
"No," she shook her head as she stepped past him. "Please, I want to try."
"You have to have confidence in your abilities, Miss Granger," he remarked with a pointed stare as they continued walking down the corridor.
"I know," she nodded. "It's just…I don't want…I mean…I won't splinch myself again, will I?"
The wizard let out a long breath. "If you lack the confidence, you very well may."
"Self-fulfilling prophecy, right," she sighed. "I remember."
Severus stopped in his tracks and glanced carefully at her. "Miss Granger, if you cannot do this –"
"I can," she interrupted, turning around. "I can do this. Please, let me try."
After closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, he nodded and strode past her. "Then you best control your anxiety."
"That's what I'm trying to do," Hermione muttered beneath her breath. She had been looking forward to this lesson all weekend, and it frustrated her to no end to feel a certain amount of dread creeping into her system as the reality of it approached. She could not help but remember the agony that accompanied her last attempt at apparating on her own. It was also odd to recollect just how much it had helped her manage the pain to bury her face against his shoulder. As abrasive as he had been, just his presence had been enough to help soothe her fears.
Glancing at the back of his dark robes, she frowned. When exactly did that happen?
Six weeks ago, she still jumped when he would unexpectedly appear near her. She would still awaken in a cold sweat in the middle of the night when dreams of the abandoned field would surface. And now – now she seemed in some strange way to depend on him. So much so that she had splinched herself over the fear of being separated from him.
How exactly did that happen? She let out a deep breath and fiddled with the amethyst pendant as she considered the question. Even when he was shouting at her, she felt a certain amount of calm knowing he still had to protect her – even if only because his life depended on hers.
And now it seemed easier to put her trust in him with everything that had happened lately. He had attempted to comfort her after her emotional breakdown. He may not have realized it, but it had meant a great deal to her to have him seek her out for a quiet conversation when she had been worried he had only come after her in anger. He also seemed to have forgiven her for exposing his deepest secret, which was unbelievable on so many levels. Severus Snape was not a man who was easily associated with forgiveness. His interactions with Sirius and Remus had been evidence enough of that. But now that she knew the reason, she completely understood his dislike of Harry, and had vowed to herself never to mention his treatment of the boy. There was undoubtedly more to the story than she could ever figure out on her own, but she had a feeling that if she had been in his place, she would be just as bitter. Anyone would be.
It seemed barely a moment had passed when she felt the sudden tingling of the apparition wards.
"Are you quite finished with your brooding?" he asked with a sneer.
The girl cautiously looked up at him and then nodded. She inhaled deeply and stared at the floor. "Professor?"
"What?" he snapped.
She winced slightly and bit her lip as she gathered her courage. "Could we possibly do a few jumps together first?"
Snape's eyes washed over her in a scrutinizing gaze before he eventually nodded and held out his arm.
Hermione gave a small breath of relief and gladly slipped her arm around his.
When he released her three trips later, there was no doubt in her mind that she could do it on her own. When she realized he was staring at her with a raised brow, she attempted half a smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I think I can do it now."
Severus gave a dispassionate sigh and reached into his robes to extract the bottled Essence of Dittany.
The young witch narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "I can do it. I know I can. I won't need that."
He tilted his head in consideration and then sneered. "Prove it."
So she did – several times, in fact. When she popped back into the Forbidden Forest after her last successful apparition, she collapsed onto her bottom in near exhaustion and leaned back on her arms to stare at the starry sky. She took in a deep breath and then expelled it in a fit of giggles.
"Don't tell me you've splinched your brain on that run," the Slytherin Head scorned from his seat upon the old stump.
"No," she smiled, shaking her head. "I told you I could do it."
Snape rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.
"You know," the girl remarked, resting her head on her shoulder, "non-verbal magic is rather a lot like apparition. If you can do one, you can do the other."
The wizard snorted. "Oh, you really are the brightest witch of your age, aren't you?"
Hermione pinched her lips together and glared at him from her seat on the grass. "I was just making an observation, sir."
"You were just stating the obvious," he corrected. "Of course they're similar – apparition is a form of non-verbal magic. Do you ever speak an incantation to apparate? No."
"Fine, stating the obvious then," she sighed, pushing forward and sitting cross-legged. "It's all connected then – apparition, nonverbal magic, Occlumency."
The Potions Master gave a quick nod. "Mastery of one lends greater ease in accomplishing the others, generally speaking."
She scratched her head and chewed on her lip. "When you were first teaching me Occlumency, I didn't have my wand but I could still do it. Does that mean I could do other things without my wand?"
"With enough desperation," he remarked dryly. Upon seeing her frown, he dropped his shoulders and rested his hands on the sides of the stump. "Wandless magic is possible, yes. When you are distressed enough, your inner magic will respond, however, purposely performing wandless magic is exceedingly more difficult. It requires a great deal more focus than does nonverbal magic."
"Can you do it?" she asked in a curious tone.
"Perhaps."
The witch gave a small snort and stretched out her legs. "Did you teach yourself how to apparate?"
Snape narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.
"You're the reason there aren't any apparition books in the library, aren't you?" she pushed.
The man exhaled loudly and stood to his full height. "I believe that concludes this evening's session."
Hermione sighed and pulled herself onto her feet. "You know that if you don't answer, I'm just going to assume it's a yes."
"Who be I to interfere with your remarkable talents of assumption," he stated blandly, extending his arm to her.
Her face twisted into a smirk, and with a loud snap, she disappeared into thin air. Severus glared at the empty space for a second before apparating himself back to the passageway. Upon arrival, he found the girl panting heavily as she leaned against the wall.
"Do I need to comment on the idiocy of over-exerting oneself?" he asked.
She shook her head and tried to laugh as she barely managed to say, "Worth it."
He raised his eyebrows in challenge and then stalked down the corridor. "Shall I assume your answer will remain the same after you've finished dragging yourself up all of those staircases?"
An unintelligible groan escaped her lips as she pushed away from the stone wall and followed humbly behind him.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
Even though she had barely made it to her room before passing out that night – and had very nearly slept through Defense the next morning – she had not regretted pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion. Though Snape had fixed her with a smug stare every time she had yawned during his afternoon class, he had not called her out on it, or criticized her decision during any further sessions. In fact, over the next week and a half, he had seemed to treat her training with even greater seriousness.
"I wanted you to shield against it, not dive out of the way!" he shouted as she physically ducked his stinging hex.
Hermione winced as her bare knee hit the floor of the empty classroom. She was highly regretting not changing out of her skirt into a more sensible pair of jeans before meeting for their defense session. Sweat was beginning to drip down her forehead, and she took in a labored breath. "What's the difference? Either way, I avoid it!"
The man narrowed his eyes and launched a second stinging hex her way.
"Ouch!" she cried out as it found its mark.
"The difference," he emphasized, leaning forward, "is that when you throw yourself to the ground to avoid a curse, you greatly minimize your chances of escaping the second attempt! Shielding it gives you the advantage of being able to respond repeatedly."
She rubbed her hip as she struggled to pull herself off of the floor. "Fine. I'll try it again."
"I think not." He conjured up an armchair and then gestured to it. "Sit."
The girl glared as she dropped into the chair. "I believe I told you this before, sir – I'm not a dog!"
"My apologies," he smirked. "I must have been distracted by the panting."
Arse. She let out an angry gasp and crossed her arms tight against her chest. The look of contempt on her face softened, however, when he handed her a glass of water. It was not until after she had drained it completely that she realized just how thirsty she was.
"Thank you," she whispered as he magically refilled her glass. He grunted in response, and she settled back in the chair to enjoy the cool water at a much slower pace. When she finished a few minutes later, she handed the empty glass back to him and stood from the chair. "Had enough of a rest yet?"
Snape rolled his eyes and sent another stinging hex in her direction.
"Protego!" she shouted, successfully blocking the spell.
"Silently," he hissed.
Hermione sighed and readied herself for his next attack. When it came, she managed to wordlessly cast a shielding charm to stop the hex. She was about to smirk in response when his face contorted in pain and he grabbed his left forearm. Her first thought was that the stinging hex had rebounded and hit him, but when he sucked in a breath and let an emotionless mask overtake his features, she realized it was something else entirely.
"Prof –"
"You must return to your dormitory, Miss Granger," he instructed as he summoned his travelling cloak and quickly made his way towards the door to the hallway. When his hand touched the door handle, he suddenly jerked it back as another burning sensation erupted across his arm. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion. The Dark Lord only summoned once – if he ever had to call a second time, the pain was crippling enough to bring a man to his knees. But this was different.
Almost as if it were a signal. Severus closed his eyes briefly before spinning back towards the girl.
The color drained from her face as she met his gaze. She shook her head and whispered, "No."
"It is time," he responded solemnly.
"No!" she shouted, grabbing hold of the chair. "No, no, no!"
He held out his hand. "We cannot keep him waiting, Miss Granger."
Panic swelled in her gut as she took tentative steps towards him. When she was within reach, he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her through the doorway. He silently cast a Disillusionment charm over her head and then continued pulling her through the corridors as they headed to the front entrance.
"Why aren't we taking the passageway?" she whispered oddly as he tugged her along.
"The Dark Lord believes the only apparition point is beyond the gates," he hissed back. "If someone were to be watching, it would not do us well to apparate from anywhere else."
"Oh," she whimpered as Snape threw open the castle doors, and the two of them quickly descended the steps into the chilly night. As the gravel crunched beneath their feet, she could not keep the sense of dread from rising within her. They were going to face Voldemort. She was going to face Voldemort. Alone. Snape could not help her now – he had to play the loyal Death Eater, and she had to protect his cover. She had to protect him.
"Oh God," she cried, stopping in her tracks and causing him to pull up short. "I can't do this. I can't face him. I can't do this!"
Severus sighed and cancelled the Disillusionment and replaced it with a Notice-Me-Not charm in case anyone happened to be watching from the castle. Quickly turning towards the quivering girl, he grabbed hold of her arms and shook her slightly. "Granger, listen –"
"I can't do it!"
"Listen to me, damn it!" he shouted in her face. When her eyes snapped up to him in surprise, he calmed his voice and stared openly into her eyes. "You have to do this. You will do this. There is no other option. Whatever will happen will happen."
When she nodded slowly in response, he released his grasp on her right arm and again began dragging her towards the gates. "I must warn you, Miss Granger, that the Dark Lord will not be gentle in his pursuits. He will likely use both pain and fear to weaken your defenses. Do not allow yourself to be distracted – you must not lose focus."
She swallowed heavily as they neared the gates.
"I apologize now for anything I may do or say while in the Dark Lord's presence."
Hermione let out a shaky breath and tried to dispel her nausea. "Yeah, well I apologize now if I get you killed."
Snape said nothing in return as he yanked open the iron gates wide enough for the pair of them to slip through. As soon as he passed across the wards, he pulled her tight against his chest, and rolled up his sleeve to expose the Dark Mark. He pressed the tip of his wand to it and almost immediately felt the tug of apparition.
As their destination appeared before them, he grimaced internally upon noticing that the Dark Lord had chosen the same field for their meeting as he had for the binding ceremony. He knew Hermione recognized it too, for she had become rigid the moment she sprawled out of his grasp. Thankfully, though, there were no other Death Eaters present at their master's side.
"Severus!" Voldemort called out with a grin as the other wizard bowed in respect. "You do not disappoint me, my friend. How quickly you have brought me your prize! I take it you did not encounter resistance in this venture."
The Potions Master shook his head and then frowned as he noted the girl was frozen in fear as the dark wizard slithered towards them. He knew he needed to devise a way to get her to focus without attracting suspicion.
"Kneel before the Dark Lord," he spat bitterly, delivering a swift kick to the back of her knee.
Hermione cried out in surprise as she fell onto her hands and knees. A sharp pain flared in the palm of her hand as a stray rock spliced it open.
"Tut, tut, Severus. You should be more gentle with your toys." There was a gleam in Voldemort's red eyes as he turned his attention to the girl before him. "Rise, my child."
She swallowed back a generous amount of fear and was about to follow his command, when a familiar voice slid across her conscience.
'Don't.'
The young witch flicked her eyes quickly to Snape and then back to Voldemort.
'It is a test, Granger.'
She could see that the Dark Lord was still staring at her in anticipation, which meant that he could not have heard Snape speaking to her. She closed her eyes, grateful for the small comfort that it provided her, and then took two heaving breaths.
"I c-can't, sir," she muttered, risking another flicker of her eyes towards the evil wizard. "I was t-told to kneel."
A sickening grin fluttered across Voldemort's face as he reached out to stroke her cheek. It took all of her focus not to flinch at the feel of his frigid fingers upon her flesh.
"Such obedience already. Severus has broken you well, I see," he cooed down to her as he tilted her chin upwards. "Pain is an excellent teacher, is it not?"
"Indeed it is, my Lord," Snape answered, forcing a smirk onto his face and crossing his arms behind his back.
"Tell me – has she served your needs well?" the dark wizard asked, tightening his grip on her chin until she squeaked in discomfort.
The man raised his eyebrows. "She has been…satisfactory, my Lord."
"Such high praise from your dear Potions Master," Voldemort chuckled, wrenching her chin to the side and trailing a cold fingertip across her throat. "You must be delighted."
Hermione whimpered slightly, and her heart was pounding in her ears so loud she was sure they all could hear it. She let out a quick breath of relief when the hand disappeared from her throat and he tossed her chin away from him. A second later, however, one of his hands snaked its way behind her head and tightly grabbed a clump of her hair. Tears came to her eyes when he forcefully yanked her head back until she had no choice but to look at his horrible face.
"Praise like that," he hissed, "deserves examining."
Without further warning, his eyes tore into her mind with such force that her mouth opened in a silent scream. She tried to pull away from the pain, only to have her knees buckle beneath her. As she dropped a few inches towards the ground, his grip on her hair remained steady, and it felt as though her hair would be ripped out by the roots. Wincing, she tried to regain her balance to take off some of the pressure.
Voldemort cared little over her discomfort and continued to tear through her mind with wild abandon. The pressure was so intense, she felt as though her head would explode at any second. Tears trickled down her cheeks in response to the splitting headache he was giving her, and she could feel throbbing pain beginning to erupt across her spine.
There was absolutely no way her mental shields would hold him back. While Snape had confidently stridden through her memories, the Dark Lord was like a troll busting through the walls of her mind. It was sheer agony under his gaze, and fear pressed deep into her abdomen. They were done for. He was going to see something, and she and Snape were both going to die.
'Focus, Granger!'
Hermione gasped at the interruption, but Voldemort seemed not to notice. She took several deep breaths and then turned her attention to her task, shutting out all of the pain.
Severus dared not blink as he silently monitored the Dark Lord's intrusion of her mind. He willed her defenses to remain strong as she held still in a precarious position. As had occurred with Dumbledore, he could see everything that was pulled forth from her memories.
Voldemort latched onto one memory after another, subjecting them once again to the binding ceremony, and each of the following re-committals. He even laughed audibly as he viewed her first Potions class, when Snape had forced her to answer and had then taken away points. When he slithered through the memory of the horrible day in Potions, his focus immediately shifted away from her interactions with Snape and turned instead towards Harry.
He ripped through their conversations about homework and Quidditch. The images of Hermione sabotaging his potion, and his subsequent punishment in front of the class had elicited another bout of sinister chuckling. When he arrived at the memory of her asking after Harry, when Ron had claimed he was with Dumbledore, his pillaging came to a standstill.
"What were they doing?" Voldemort hissed suspiciously, abruptly withdrawing from her mind.
"I d-don't…I don't know!" she cried, attempting to shake her head.
His red eyes flared and he furiously threw her to the ground. He paced for a few seconds before spinning towards Snape. "Has the old fool mentioned meeting with the boy?"
"No, my Lord," Severus answered, forcing himself not to look upon the girl. "He had confided in me his concerns of your connection with boy. He does not trust him with anything privileged."
The Dark Lord let out an angered puff of air through his slit nostrils. "Then why is he meeting with him now?"
"I know not, my Lord," Snape responded carefully. He knew enough from experience not to look away when admitting ignorance. "If it would please you, I will –"
"No!" He spat. "There is no reason he would want you to know. Asking questions will only lead him to suspect you, but the girl…"
He paused a few seconds to stalk back over to her, pulling her up by her hair again. "You! You will find out."
Hermione cried at the renewed pain in her tender scalp, but nodded pathetically at his demand.
Voldemort angrily tossed her to the ground again, and spun away from her. "Nagini!"
Severus glanced out of the corner of his eye at the sound of the large snake slithering through the tall grass. He stiffened almost imperceptibly as the reptile passed by the hem of his robes.
"Watch the girl," the evil wizard instructed before walking towards his trusted spy.
The snake obediently moved towards the witch who had pulled herself onto her knees. Whimpers escaped her as the oversized reptile wound itself about her thighs. Eyes wide with fear, Hermione swallowed a heavy gulp as she stared at Nagini's forked tongue flicking about her.
"Does the old man suspect anything?" Voldemort asked, pulling Snape's attention away from the serpent.
Severus shook his head. "As far as he is concerned, the girl believes herself indebted to me for saving her parents in the nick of time."
"And the Order?"
"Wallowing in his word as though Merlin himself had delivered it."
The Dark Lord chuckled at the look of disgust displayed upon his face. "Severus, your intelligence and wit never disappoint."
The Potions Master dipped his head in gratitude before glancing back towards Hermione.
"Something troubling you?"
Snape shook his head again. "Just checking that your pet has not decided she needs a late night snack."
"Rest assured, your prize is still safe," Voldemort laughed. "Nagini does not eat unless I tell her to. Does the girl believe the same far-fetched story as Dumbledore?"
"No," he answered. "She has been informed of her parents' unfortunate demise."
Voldemort grinned and made his way back to the girl. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the snake from her guard duty and then grabbed Hermione by the chin, pulling her to her feet.
"Since you were gracious enough to share your memories with me," he stated softly, "I feel it only fair that I share one with you."
A feeling of dread washed over her as he pushed into her mind once again.
Suddenly, she found herself, wand drawn, pushing open the garden door of her home. The kitchen lights were on, though the room was empty. Silently, she slipped into the house, letting the back door remain open. She was nearly to the sitting room door when Crookshanks suddenly darted beneath her feet, yowling at the top of his lungs as he fled into the garden.
"Hermione?" her mother shouted from beyond the sitting room door. "Is that you? We've been so worried! We were out looking for you. Where have you been?"
As the voice moved closer to the door, Hermione hung back and tightened her grip on her wand. The door swung open, revealing her mother who suddenly glanced at her in fear.
"W-who are you?" the woman asked fearfully, eyeing the open garden door and then backing away towards the sitting room. "Get out of my house!"
"Crucio!" Hermione shouted bitterly. Her mother fell to the floor screaming and writhing in pain.
"Jean! What's wrong?" her father's fearful shout came from the floor above them. A second later, she heard the pounding of his feet on the stairs. When he appeared in the kitchen, he cried out in anguish at his wife convulsing on the floor. He turned to charge the intruder, but soon found himself screaming in agony as he dropped on top of his wife.
"NOOOO!" Hermione shouted, slamming her eyes shut and tearing away from the memory.
"Foolish girl!" Voldemort hissed. He tightened his grip on her face and forced the images back into her head.
It was sometime later, for the lights in the house had all been extinguished. Hermione strode purposefully down the staircase and made her way back into the kitchen. Her parents were still lying on the floor, holding on to each other and whispering quiet 'I love you's.
"How touching," she spat, raising her wand again. "Avada Kedavra!"
Green flashes and a strange rushing sound filled the small kitchen as the life vanished first from her father's eyes, and then her mother's.
Hermione quickly stole from the house, turning back when she had reached the back gate.
"Incendio!" she murmured and watched as her childhood home erupted into flames.
Hermione felt numb as Voldemort finally released her from the painful memory. She dropped onto her knees, staring blankly at the yellowed grass rustling in the frosty wind. She was unaware of anything until Snape slipped his arm beneath her shoulders and hauled her to her feet.
"Granger," he whispered. "We need to leave now."
Glancing around the field, she realized that they were alone. "He's gone?"
"For several minutes now, yes," he responded. "I am going to apparate us back to the front gates."
She nodded slowly and closed her eyes as he wrapped his arm about her waist. Her stomach jumped into her throat and then plummeted sharply. Immediately the taste of bile filled her mouth, and her supper quickly made its way back into the world.
Severus continued to hold on to her waist while she was doubled over, and made sure she could not fall into her own mess. He waited for a few minutes after she had finished retching before suggesting that they continue on across the grounds. When he noticed that she was shivering beside him, he realized for the first time that she had only been dressed in her school uniform. Cursing, he removed his cloak and draped it across her shoulders before casting the Disillusionment charm on her again.
The pair walked in absolute silence to the entrance of the castle. Neither of them raised objections when Snape opted to make his way to his private quarters, and Hermione trailed passively behind him. When he had secured the door behind him, he cancelled her concealing spell and gestured towards the couch. As she took a seat, Severus ran his hand across his face trying to decide whether he should leave now to debrief Dumbledore.
The sight of blood on his floor pulled his thoughts away from the Headmaster. He narrowed his eyes, noticing several small drops of crimson trailing from his door. He snapped his gaze towards the girl on his sofa and quickly moved towards her. He pulled his cloak away from her body and winced as he saw the blood dripping down the fingers of her left hand.
"Miss Granger, you're bleeding."
She glanced up at him as though unable to comprehend the statement, and then looked down at the hand in her lap. "Oh."
Snape sighed and sat next to her, grasping her hand and turning it so that the palm faced upwards. A jagged cut sliced across the center of it. He placed his wand near the wound and began the song-like incantation of the Vulnera Sanentur spell. When nothing happened, he frowned and glanced up to see her staring at him with wide eyes.
"Is it burning?"
Hermione closed her eyes and nodded. Her bottom lip quivered slightly. "It started hurting when he was in my head."
Just bloody perfect, he thought with a sigh.
"Are we going to…" her whisper trailed off.
Severus pulled on her hand. "Let's deal with the gaping wound first, shall we?"
He briefly considered using dittany, but opted against it when he noticed the dirt in the wound. It would not do any good to let flesh regrow only to have it get infected. Since magic was not going to be an option until after they renewed their bond, he was going to have to rely upon more Muggle methods.
"Come on," he whispered, pulling her to her feet and guiding her towards the door next to the bookshelves. He pushed it open to reveal his bedroom, and then turned her towards the attached bathroom.
After sitting her down on the closed lid of the commode, he pulled out a small box from the cabinet beneath the sink. He turned on the faucet and reached for her hand. Cautiously, he rinsed away the dirt and extra blood from her hand, and then grabbed a pair of tweezers to remove a small pebble that had worked its way into her flesh.
Hermione sucked in a pained breath and rested her forehead on the side of his hip while he worked. When he was satisfied that the wound was clear of debris, he withdrew a small bottle of alcohol from the first aid box and poured some of its contents over the area. Eventually, he applied a salve before covering it in gauze and wrapping a cloth bandage around her hand. When he had finished, he cleared everything away and pulled her up from the toilet.
The girl stared at the neatly wrapped bandage as she stepped out of the bathroom.
Snape watched with a concerned gaze as she hesitantly made her way towards his bed and sat down on the edge. She ran her uninjured hand across the smooth surface of the dark green comforter and then let out a deep sigh. He scratched the back of his head and started towards the door that led to his office.
"I'll go get the potion, then."
"No!" she said quickly, glancing at him. When he stopped to look at her, she dropped her eyes to the floor. "Could we not use it?"
He sighed, but nodded. "We'll still need the contraceptive, however."
Hermione let out a long breath as the door shut behind him. Kicking off her shoes, she slid back into the middle of the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. She chewed on her lip for a few seconds, debating whether it was wise to not use the anesthetic potion, but she quickly decided that she did not care how bad it hurt. Anything was better than the numbness she was feeling at the moment.
When he reappeared, she accepted the proffered flask and quickly downed the contents. She set the empty vial on the bedside table and settled back against the pillows while he removed his frock coat and boots. She turned her head to face the wall when she felt him sit on the edge of the bed.
Severus ran a hand through his hair as Minerva's advice echoed through his conscience. It had been hard enough for him to stand there and watch Hermione be tortured under Voldemort's stare – he could only imagine how traumatized she must feel. If it were up to him, he would rather Crucio himself than take advantage of her vulnerable state, but as it was, he had no choice in the matter. Glancing back at her, it did not take a genius to recognize that she was still in shock, and he understood exactly why she had refused the other potion. She needed to feel something, but he was going to be damned if he let it be pain.
Sighing, he laid down beside the girl. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gingerly trailed his fingers along the side of her face. When she glanced back at him in surprise, he touched her other cheek.
"I am so sorry for everything," he whispered hesitantly. "This is more than anyone should have to bear."
She blinked back a few tears and then moved to turn away.
"Hermione, please look at me."
When she did, he let out an uncomfortable breath. "I am…I am proud of you."
Her eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. "W-what?"
Snape gave a slightly amused sigh and touched his lips to her forehead. "You stood before the Dark Lord, and yet we are both still very much alive. Our secrets are still safe. You did well, Hermione."
The witch's eyes fluttered shut as his words rustled against her ear. She felt the tension in her body begin to melt away as he began placing light kisses on her eyelids, her cheeks, and the bridge of her nose. When he placed one on the tip of her nose, she opened her eyes and timidly caught his lips with her own. She could feel the corners of his mouth turn upwards before he kissed her in return, and she shivered against him as his hand slid down the length of her body.
Instinctively she pressed against him, and he pulled one of her legs across his thigh. She pulled away from the liplock when he began playing with the hem of her skirt.
"I'm sorry," he whispered quickly at her startled look.
Hermione shook her head and blew out a breath as a pleasant heat spread through her body. "I've just never felt this before."
Severus smirked and placed a kiss at the base of her throat. He slipped one arm around her waist and moved his hand from her thigh to cup her breast through her blouse. A throaty moan escaped from her, and she arched her body against him. He sucked in a breath as she inadvertently rubbed against his erection. Leaning over her upper body, he rested his forehead against hers.
"Are you ready?" he whispered, noticing the glazed look in her eyes. When she nodded her head against him, he turned their bodies so that she was lying on her back and he was positioned above her. Gently, he reached beneath her skirt and slipped her knickers down her long legs. He tossed the underwear to the side and then pushed up from her long enough to unfasten his trousers and slide them, along with his boxers, down from his hips. When he had positioned himself at her opening, he quickly re-sought her lips before pushing into her.
Hermione gasped and suddenly grabbed hold of his shirt.
"Does it hurt?" he asked in a strained voice.
It took her several seconds to comprehend that he had asked her a question, and even then she failed to find her voice. Instead, she shook her head and tightened her grip on his shirt.
Taking that as a good sign, the wizard continued moving inside of her. He kept a gentle rhythm, not wanting to run the risk of hurting her. He nearly lost control when she buried her face against his neck and moaned into his clavicle, but had managed to recover his mental faculties before he pressed her too hard.
He could feel her tension building with each thrust until finally all of her muscles clamped down around him and she arched her back in climax. He pushed into her relaxed body a few more times until he reached his own release. Afterwards, he withdrew his flaccid member from her and rolled off of her.
Hermione swallowed in astonishment as she stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. Breathing heavily, she turned onto her side and watched nervously as he tucked in his shirt and re-buckled his belt.
"Please don't leave," she whispered, pulling into a seated position.
"You need to sleep," he responded as he reached for his frock coat.
She wrapped her arms around herself and took in a panicked breath as she remembered her encounter with Voldemort. "I don't think I'll ever sleep again."
Snape rubbed his forehead and then pulled open the drawer of his bedside table. He extracted a vial of Dreamless Sleep and handed it to her.
The girl took the flask from him and glanced at it hesitantly. "I don't want to be alone. Please promise you won't leave."
He let out a deep breath, but nodded and sat back on the bed. He waited quietly while she took the potion and then laid her head against the pillow. Her eyelids eventually drooped closed, and Severus moved some of the curls away from her face. When she did not react to his touch, he stood and pulled the comforter and sheets out from beneath her. After he covered her up, he turned to leave the room so he could meet with Dumbledore.
Upon reaching the bedroom door, however, he glanced back at her sleeping form and sighed. He watched her chest rise and fall for a few minutes before deciding that the Headmaster could wait until the morning. Muttering under his breath, he crossed to the other side of the bed and laid down with his back to the girl.
Wrapping his arms around his waist and staring at the wall, he prepared himself for another sleepless night.