A/N: I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter so much! This one's not as exciting, but I hope you like it anyway. I stayed up way later than I should have to try to get this finished before the weekend. For the Americans reading, have a good Memorial Day weekend! For everyone else, have a great weekend anyway!
Thank you hnwhitlock2000, earley1991, ancim, Widad, Scipio'sgirl, anniekun93, jforston, woodshark, ineverdothis, callalily32, Lucente, Eebaral Knight, severus49, xSiriusxstalkerx, simplyy gabrielle, BlooDsucKkerR69, MCannon5887, bushyhairedamericannerd, llorolalluvia, sharNZ, LittleSparrow, mairamout, Golfbabe87, Startled Boris, MissLizet, InezSophia, sirli, Small Owl, Angelwells, Stacy Vorosco, missdaine, Aubrey'Snape, Seph7, Tilly, DedicatedReader, cinnamin, Lust for Life, lia, NewtypeJuliet, Lover of Fantasy, Petite Mule, Team Mordsith 3, IHeartBranson, Sev01, ButterflyGirl89, clio, Lil Tine, sweet-tang-honney, melonka, ambercrombie541, tennis14321432, Odile1001, alicehsbb, vampirela69, Phoenixica24, Li-Li-ThePinkbookgirl, staypee, Mel, KittyPimms, duffie83, StarsRFire, Hazel08, Lyra Lupin, AllyZ, ptite mac, A Casual Observer, and amonymous!
Bound to Him
Chapter 33
Severus sighed the next morning as he fastened his teaching robes over the clothes in which he had slept. As he had so glumly predicted, there had been no sleep for him. Whenever he had closed his eyes, he would see Hermione on her knees before the Dark Lord, shivering with fear and grimacing in pain. And whenever he would leave them open, he was faced with the truth that he had just had sex with a student, who was still lying beside him. It did not really matter that she had been bound to him against his will, or that he was only doing it to keep her alive. It did not really matter that she had withstood torture from the Dark Lord himself and kept him safe, or that she was in obvious need of comfort. Hermione Granger was still his student, and in his mind, it was still horribly wrong.
He had entered into the act knowing that it had to be done, and knowing that she needed a distraction from the chaos raging inside of her head. He had been more open and gentle with her than he had ever been with anyone, and it was almost surprising how much it had excited him to have her respond to his touches and to know that he had been the first to give her that. After they had finished, however, it only took one glance at her uniform for his mind to be cruel enough to supply him with a stream of images from her time in his classroom. Guilt and disgust had begun working their way in as soon as he connected the eleven-year-old frizzball with the figure lying in his bed, and he had wanted nothing more to escape the room so he could hate himself without an audience.
But when she had begged him not to leave, he knew deep down that he could not. She had needed someone, and as unfortunate as it was for her, he was the only one available. So he had momentarily put aside his self-hatred and his duty to the Headmaster, and he had stayed. He had lasted nearly an hour staring at the wall, before turning over onto his other side and spending the rest of the night watching her sleep. As he silently regarded her and replayed the events of the past two and a half months in his head, he knew that despite her age and her relative inexperience with the magical world that she had to be the strongest woman he had ever met.
Severus cast one last glance at the girl sleeping soundly in his bed and gave a pointed look to the ginger cat curled up beside her before he quietly shut the bedroom door behind him. The Dreamless Sleep potion would likely not wear off for several hours yet, so he could wait until his lunch hour to check on her again. If anything worrisome were to happen before then, however, he had instructed the meddling feline to immediately seek him out.
And now I'm giving orders to a cat. He could just picture the canary-eating grin on Minerva's face as he quickly descended the staircase to his office and ignored the rumble in his stomach. Breakfast was going to have to wait until after he finished readying his classroom for the first NEWT practice exam he had scheduled for the seventh years that morning.
After a night spent listening to the soft sounds of someone else sleeping without getting any rest himself, he was more than ready to fail half of the class. He was especially looking forward to failing the fool McLaggen. He had never cared for the boy before that year, but after that tosspot's interactions with Miss Granger, he now held a special spot of contempt for him.
The door slammed shut behind him and almost immediately vanished into the stone wall. Snape stopped at his desk long enough to grab his assignment ledger and then stalked out into the hallway. He had nearly reached the Potions classroom when an angry shout caused him to stop in his tracks.
"WHERE IS SHE?"
Snape spun around to see Potter advancing upon him. The boy's face was flushed with anger, and his hair was sticking out in all directions. He was still dressed in his pajamas, and sweat was dripping down his forehead.
"Potter!" he spat, narrowing his eyes.
"You know where she is!" Harry charged, withdrawing his wand. "Tell me!"
"Foolish little brat!" Severus growled dangerously, wordlessly disarming the boy and grabbing him by his shirt. He dragged him the short distance to the classroom and then tossed him inside. After he locked and silenced the room, he turned back to see The-Boy-Who-Lived picking himself up from the floor. "Are you deranged, Potter, or just completely incompetent? Shouting in the corridor for all of Slytherin House to hear?"
"Give me back my wand," the boy hissed.
The Potions Master's nostrils flared and he threw the slender length of holly towards the front of the classroom, where it bounced off of a bench and rolled away. "You have three seconds to explain yourself before I have you expelled for attacking a teacher!"
"I didn't…" Harry let his protest die away and desperately rubbed at his scar. "Tell me you know where Hermione is!"
Snape's eyes widened as his anger half-deflated into fear as he watched the boy push on his forehead and he dropped his voice to a concerned whisper. "What did you see?"
"Last night after Quidditch practice, when I was falling asleep, my scar started to itch again, and I saw…I saw…" He paused and ran his hand through his hair. "I saw Hermione. She was afraid, kneeling on the ground, and it was like I was slithering towards her – I think I was the snake again. The one that attacked Mr. Weasley. She was whimpering when I touched her. She looked so scared.
"I thought that it was another trap – like with Sirius – but when Ginny came down this morning and said that Hermione never came back from the library last night..." He shook his head angrily. "I went to Professor Dumbledore, but he just told me not to worry – that all is well. All is NOT bloody well! Where is she?"
Severus let out a deep breath, his anger towards Potter all but forgotten. Obviously, the Dark Lord had not meant for the boy to see anything. It would have defeated the whole purpose of using Hermione as a spy. He felt a rising amount of frustration with the Headmaster for not doing more to calm the boy's temper. Albus knew exactly what had happened the night before, since he had flooed into Snape's chambers just after dawn for his report.
The boy was never supposed to know anything about Hermione's involvement – both the Headmaster and the Dark Lord were in agreement in that regard. It seemed, however, that the Dark Lord had let his excitement slip through the connection with Potter and had nearly given away his hand. However, if that were to become known, the evil wizard was never going to take responsibility for the blunder. Likely he would permanently silence the Order spy just for suggesting it.
Snape knew that he had to do something before Potter flew off the handle and jeopardized everything. Again.
"Miss Granger is…resting," he finally answered, deciding to skirt the truth.
Harry's eyes snapped to his. "It was really happening, then? It wasn't a trick? Voldemort had her?"
Snape glared at him for using the Dark Lord's name, but nodded slowly.
"Where is she?" he muttered, after all of the color had drained from his face. "Is she…is she alright?"
The man closed his eyes and dipped his head. "She is somewhere safe, and is recovering."
"Can I see her?" Potter asked, stepping forward. "I need to make sure she's alright."
"What part of 'she is resting' don't you understand?" The Slytherin Head glared. "If she wants to speak with you, she will seek you out. Otherwise, you will wait until the Hallows Eve Feast, is that clear?"
Harry blew out a bitter breath, but nodded.
"You will tell no one of this," he added.
"But –"
"Did you not just hear me, boy?" Severus snarled. "You will tell no one, and if I have even the slightest inkling that you will be incapable of this, I will not hesitate to Obliviate you!"
The younger wizard's face wrinkled in anger and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Does Professor Dumbledore know?"
"Of course he bloody knows!" Snape spat. "If you're accusing me of something, Potter, I would highly suggest you rethink it!"
The boy immediately shook his head. "I'm not! It's just…why wouldn't he tell me?"
"Far be it from me to make assumptions about the Headmaster's motivations," the Potions Master drawled, "though perhaps he has come to the realization that the world does not, in fact, revolve around the magnanimous Harry Potter."
The remark earned him a glare, and he could see Harry's hands ball into tight fists.
"Fetch your wand and get out."
"No! Not until you tell me why," Potter demanded.
"Why?" Severus repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Why Voldemort took Hermione!" he shouted. "Why you let him!"
The Slytherin's eyes flared dangerously as he forcefully backed Harry into a table. "Let him? Is that what you think? That I have a choice in what the Dark Lord does? Perhaps it's your father's thick skull that prevents you from comprehending the simplest of details, but I…do…not…let…the Dark Lord do anything!"
The boy shirked away from his snarling face and held up his hands defensively.
"As for why – perhaps you could apply that pathetic excuse for a brain of yours and figure it out!" He stalked over to where the holly wand had fallen, snatched it up from the floor, and then tossed it at Harry.
Harry managed to catch it after some juggling. "Professor –"
"Out!" Snape pointed angrily towards the door. The sound of the latch clicking open filled the room, and eventually the boy stumbled towards the door. When he had left, Severus let out an angry growl and kicked the nearest stool. As it clattered noisily to the stone floor, he held his head in his hands and sighed.
He knew that Potter would not let it go that easily, but he had a notion that the boy would at least keep it to himself for the time being. Dumbledore had all but given him a pat on the head, while Severus had told him at least enough information to confirm his suspicions. It was not a great leap to figure out to whose judgment the boy would temporarily defer.
And that would give him just enough time to stitch together a plausible cover.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
It was just after noon when Hermione's eyes fluttered open. She blinked in confusion at the color of the pillowcase on which she had just been drooling. Glancing down at the edge of the comforter she had been snuggling against, she realized quickly that it was not the maroon one covering her bed.
Red is for Gryffindor, and green is for… Hermione immediately scrambled into a seated position, clutching the covers tight against her chest. At the sound of a mewing protest, she was shocked to see Crookshanks staring at her in reproach.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, anxiously glancing around at the room. Realization suddenly dawned on her as images of the night before surfaced in her mind. Heat flared in her cheeks at the thought of sleeping in Snape's bed, and she checked once again to see that he was actually gone. She smiled oddly at the memory of what he had done to her body, and blew out a nervous breath remembering that she had kissed him.
I kissed Professor Snape. Merlin, I had sex with him. And then I asked him to stay with me. Oh my God. Hermione fell back against the mattress and curled up around one of the pillows. Confusion and shame were now twisting through the threads of pleasure onto which she had been holding. As she remembered the desperation with which she had begged not to be left alone, her eyelids slammed shut, and embarrassed tears threatened to leak from beneath them. There was no doubt in her mind now that he knew exactly how weak she was. She could not even handle sleeping on her own in the middle of a castle where she was perfectly safe. He had to think her absolutely pathetic.
"I am…I am proud of you."
Hermione's eyes flashed open as she remembered the rumble of his voice against her skin. Professor Snape had told her that he was proud of her. There was no way he would ever say that – to anyone, let alone an insufferable know-it-all. She had to have been dreaming.
"You did well."
A small smile graced her lips as she wiped away the beginnings of her tears. Well, at least it had been a nice dream for once.
Sniffling loudly, she pulled herself back up and noticed the parchment lying on the table beside the bed. She seized it immediately and glanced down at the spiky handwriting.
Miss Granger,
You have been excused from your classes for the day and are to make use of my quarters as you require.
If you find that you are in need of anything, Dobby will be groveling at your disposal.
Professor S. Snape
The girl groaned quietly, realizing that she had not even thought about having to attend classes. She let out a deep breath, wondering what horrible disease she was supposed to be suffering from this time, and how long it would take Remus to stop looking at her as though she were made of glass.
She did not think much more on that topic, though, for her bladder suddenly reminded her of the need to use the loo. Tossing back the covers, she slid out of the bed and blushed like mad when she spotted her knickers on the floor. Snatching them up, she quickly ran into his bathroom and slammed the door shut.
After she quickly did her business and washed her hands, she sat back down on the toilet lid and stared at the bandage on her left hand. She remembered appearing in the darkened field and all but stumbling out of Snape's grasp. Her first thought had been that he had not done anything to steady her as he had during their lessons, but she had known that he could not do so in front of the Death Eaters. As soon as she had recognized the location as being the same place she had first been brought before Voldemort, however, she had become frozen with fear and everything after that seemed to be a blur. She vaguely remembered falling to the ground at some point, but did not remember cutting her hand. Not until Snape had pointed it out in his quarters did she even realize that she was bleeding.
Why can't I remember what happened? Expelling a deep breath, she moved to run her uninjured hand through her hair. She winced at the tenderness of her scalp and closed her eyes as the memory of being yanked to her feet flashed through her mind. Her hand brushed against her jaw, causing her another jolt of soreness. With a gasp, she leapt up from the commode and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyes widened at the sight of the purple bruises on her chin. Hesitantly, she touched a finger to one and sucked in a painful breath.
And then she remembered everything – Voldemort grabbing hold of her, trailing his finger down her throat, ripping her head back, tearing through her mind. She saw him throw her to the ground and pull her up again to hiss orders in her face. Hermione gripped the edges of the sink cabinet with white knuckles as she remembered the horrible snake moving towards her. She could practically feel the cool smoothness of its scales as it constricted around her thighs and she could hear the soft swishing sound of its forked tongue as it tasted the air for her fear.
She had been so relieved when Voldemort had ordered the vile thing away, but what had happened next had been ten times worse. She squeezed her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to block out the images, but it was to no avail. Her parents were there writhing on the floor of her mind, and their screams were echoing through her conscience. Suddenly, they were dead, and the house they all had loved so much was burning to the ground around them.
Hermione could not breathe. Gasping for air, she stumbled away from the sink and threw open the door. The walls seemed to be closing in on her, and she had to get away. Blind to everything but her internal torture, she pulled open the bedroom door and made her way through the sitting room. She slipped through the portrait door and quickly ascended the staircase.
As soon as she was in the corridor, she took off into a sprint. She needed air. She could not stay inside. She needed out.
Hermione ran through the hidden archway and the twisting corridors beyond it, down the several flights of stairs, and flew down the dark tunnel beneath the Black Lake. She kept running until she felt the tingle of the wards and then disappeared with barely a sound.
Her stomach slammed to a stop and the garden she had played in as a child appeared before her eyes. Beyond it, however, where the house was meant to be, there was a large pile of charred beams and walls collapsing in upon the cracking foundation. Orange fencing had been temporarily erected about the property to keep any curious children from poking through the ruins.
"No, no, NO!" she shook her head, as the wind whipped her hair about. She tried to erase the sight before her, closing her eyes and opening them. Again, she was met with the image of blackened wood and orange plastic against the greying sky. Her heart dropped into her stomach, and she fell to her knees in despair.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
Severus had just pulled his classroom door shut behind him when a streak of orange ran past his feet. His eyes widened as he checked the hallway for any other occupants, and then he glared at the cat.
"I thought I told you to stay there."
The half-kneazle yowled in response and took off down the hallway towards his office.
Panic suddenly clenched in his gut and he was moving on his feet before even going through the steps to un-silence the mental connection with the girl. As soon as he saw her intended destination, he bypassed his office altogether and rushed on towards the staircase. He could make it to the front gates faster from here than he could the secret passageway.
Though silently cursing the entire way, he was extremely grateful that it was the lunch hour. Nearly everyone was congregated in the Great Hall, leaving the corridors empty of any witnesses. He all but flew down the gravel path until he reached the iron gates that creaked open at his approach. Hardly a second passed between the moment he passed through the wards and when he disapparated.
With a pop, he appeared in the back of the Granger property. Immediately he spotted the girl lying crumpled and crying on the browning grass. He took two steps before sweeping down to grab her around the waist.
"Not here," he muttered gruffly into her ear as he pulled her against his chest and apparated them both back to the dark tunnel.
The rushing of the wind instantly died away, and the only sounds now were those of the girl's anguished weeping.
Snape sighed, leaning against the wall and then sliding down to the floor. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with one hand while continuing to hold her with the other arm. He attempted to slip his arm from her waist, but stopped when she turned into him and clutched at his robes.
Unsure of what to do, he rested his hand on her side and leaned his head back against the stone. As he began slowly rubbing his thumb across her hipbone, he was relieved to hear her sobs eventually hiccup into a soft sniffling. Letting out a deep breath, he slipped out his wand and silently cast a tempus charm.
There were only fifteen minutes before he was expected to be in class again. The more enthusiastic students were likely to be arriving in the matter of a few minutes.
"Dobby!" he hissed.
The wide-eyed house-elf appeared with a loud pop, causing Hermione to cling tighter to the man's robes.
"Dobby is here to serve Master Snape, sir!"
"Yes, I see that," he growled from the floor. "I want you to go to the deputy headmistress and tell her to cancel my afternoon classes. Do it now."
The elf disappeared mid-bow with another loud snap.
Severus grimaced at the echoing of it and exhaled audibly. He frowned as he glanced down at the girl in his lap. His legs were beginning to lose feeling as he sat upon the hard floor. Reaching a decision, he slid his other arm beneath her knees and carefully picked himself up from the floor. Silently, he carried her through the narrow passageway and up the stairs until finally they reached the main part of the castle.
He cautiously picked his way down the staircase to his chambers, and then set her gingerly on his sofa. As he stepped back, she immediately curled into a ball and covered the top of her head with her hands. Snape scowled at the sight of the purple bruises on her chin and summoned a jar of salve to him.
"Granger, I need you to sit up," he stated forcefully as he pulled his armchair close. When she begrudgingly followed his instruction, he sat down and unscrewed the lid. Taking a generous scoop of the thick, yellow paste, he methodically began covering the discolored skin.
Hermione wrinkled her nose and pulled back at the sudden coolness of the salve.
"If you would sit still," he chided with a raised eyebrow. "The salve will help. The bruises should fade within the hour."
She nodded briefly and sucked back her remaining tears.
When he was satisfied that all of the marks were covered with the yellow paste, he sat back and placed the jar on the end table.
"Erm, Professor," she whispered. "It's bleeding again."
Snape glanced at her face in surprise and then down at her hand where crimson was beginning to seep through the bandage. Cursing, he began unwrapping the rough material and removed the now-worthless bundle of gauze.
"Likely it split open when you apparated," he said calmly as he wiped away some of the excess blood. In a moment of déjà vu, he placed the tip of his wand near the injury and recited the Vulnera Sanentur incantation. This time, however, they both breathed a small sigh of relief as her skin slowly began stitching itself back together. When it had finished, he cast a Tergeo charm to clear away the remaining blood.
"Any further gaping wounds requiring my attention?"
Hermione shook her head as she flexed the muscles in her hand. "My head, though, feels like it's been run over by a trolley."
Severus snorted with an understanding nod. He knew exactly what it felt like to have the Dark Lord rip through his mentalscape. Wordlessly, he summoned a flask of headache-relief potion and handed it to her. "This will take some of the edge off, but the pain will gradually diminish with time."
The girl blew out a shuddering breath but accepted the vial. She took the potion and stared at the floor for several minutes. When another batch of tears began to form in her eyes, she wiped them away with the back of her hand.
"It's gone," she sniffled, laying back against the sofa. "My home is gone."
Snape winced painfully and turned his head to face the wall. "Miss Granger, you cannot go there again. I do not know if it is being watched still. In the Muggle world, you are now considered dead. It would not do to be spotted."
Her eyes widened exponentially as her gaze sought his form. "What?"
"The Muggle authorities have reported that your remains were found along with your parents," he responded. "The Headmaster felt it would be easier that way. No questions as to why you were not present for their funeral. Minister Scrimgeour and Kingsley Shacklebolt agreed."
"Oh," she whispered, twisting her hands. Her face then wrinkled as she tried not to cry again.
Severus sighed mournfully and stood from his chair. He had done enough crying as a child and when Lily had died that he did not wish to sit through anyone else's suffering. The front of his robes was already drenched with her salty tears. He was hungry and tired, and he really did not think he could handle much more before his patience snapped. He took a long look at her, with the dirt and blood stains on her wrinkled blouse and skirt, and then pushed through to the bedroom.
Hermione raised her head at the sound of water running and stood from the couch. Tilting her head, she somberly followed the noise and stepped into the bedroom. Her eyes narrowed as she found Snape perched on the edge of the tub, checking the temperature of the water as it poured out of the faucet. He then stretched his arm to open the under-sink cabinet and extracted a jar of small blue crystals. She watched as he meticulously sprinkled them into the water as though the tub were a large cauldron.
As her hand touched the bathroom door, it gave a small creak, and the man looked up in surprise. At her questioning gaze, he cleared his throat and rose to his feet. "It will help with your headache."
She glanced at the fizzing water and stepped further into the room.
Severus quickly switched off the water, and then straightened with a semi-uncomfortable look on his face. "I will have the elves fetch you some clean clothes. I shall remain in the sitting room, but I request that this door be left open… lest you are tempted to do anything foolish."
The girl swallowed nervously, but nodded as she folded her arms against her chest.
He fixed her with a pointed look before turning his gaze to the cat which had leapt onto the edge of the tub. Without a further word, he slipped past Hermione and disappeared from sight.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
When the floo flared green, Severus looked up from his book to see Minerva step through with a metal-covered tray.
"Do you think me incapable of feeding myself?" he quipped, closing his book and setting it aside.
The witch snorted and set the tray down upon a small table in the corner of the room. "Well, have you? You and Miss Granger have missed all three meals today, and none of the elves claimed to have brought you anything."
He let out a guilty breath and stared bitterly at the fireplace.
"I was afraid of that," she frowned, clasping her hands in front of her. "And where is she?"
Snape gestured towards the bedroom and rubbed his eyes. "Resting. She's been lying down since getting out from the tub."
"While you sit out here and skulk," she murmured as she walked towards the open door. There was a brief pause before McGonagall reappeared in the sitting room with a devilish smirk on her face.
"What?" he snapped.
"Why, Severus – there appears to be a rather large and fluffy cat curled up on your pillow."
The man rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "I thought you were fetching Miss Granger."
Minerva smiled and shook her head. "She's asleep. I didn't want to disturb her just yet."
"Hardly surprising," he said blandly. "It was exhausting just watching her leak water everywhere."
The deputy headmistress frowned, grabbing the book he had set down and swatting him on the side of the head with it.
"Woman!" he shouted, raising a hand to his head.
"Keep your voice down, you idiot," she hissed as she tossed the book back onto the table. "And for heaven's sake, eat something. You're always in an exceptionally bad mood when your blood sugar is low."
"Oh, how observant you must be," he snarled. "Perhaps next time, you can be the one to answer the Dark Lord's call for information."
"Severus," she warned. "I don't want that girl waking up and having to deal with your foul temper, do you hear me?"
The wizard gave an angry huff of air, but stalked over to where the food had been set. She sat down on the sofa and waited until he had returned to his seat with a plate before speaking again.
"How is Hermione holding up?"
Snape contemplated the question while he chewed and then shrugged. "She is doing better than I would have assumed. She is managing the pain better than I did after the first time my Occlumency shields were tested by the Dark Lord, though the emotional toll is understandably greater in this instance."
McGonagall nodded, watching him take several more bites of his sandwich. "How did she do?"
"We're both still alive, aren't we?" he glared. "Albus hasn't had to plan any emergency meetings either."
"You can say she did well, Severus," she replied with a small grin. "It won't kill you."
"That remains to be seen," he muttered, bitterly snapping off another bite.
When his dark look did not clear within several minutes, the witch narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"
A pained expression crossed his face as he dropped the plate of food onto the end table. "Potter knows."
"He knows what?"
Both professors turned in their seats to see Hermione standing in the doorway to the bedroom, lines of sleep still evident on her face.
"Miss Granger –"
"What does Harry know?" she screeched. "Tell me what he knows!"
"Hermione, dear, come here," Minerva instructed gently, gesturing to the spot beside her. The girl did as was told, but kept her eyes trained on Snape, waiting for an answer.
Severus took a deep breath before meeting her interrogating gaze. "His scar burned last night. He saw from Nagini's vantage."
"The snake?" Hermione paled and wrapped her arms around herself. "Is that all he saw? Please tell me he didn't see anything else!"
"He did not claim to have seen anything else, no."
She let out a shaky sigh and pulled her feet onto sofa. "He wasn't supposed to know. You said that he couldn't know!"
"I did not consider that the Dark Lord would accidently give him a private viewing!" Severus shouted back. Upon receiving a glare from Minerva, he dropped his voice and his gaze. "But the fact is he did, and Potter will undoubtedly come to you for the answers that he did not receive from me."
"You said I couldn't tell him," she said quietly. "I don't want to tell him. I don't want him to know about… this!"
McGonagall squeezed her shoulder as the man leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees.
"Obviously, we cannot tell him the truth," he stated, "but you must tell him something, or he will never let it rest until it ends up getting the both of us killed."
"Does Professor Dumbledore know?"
Snape angrily cast his look into the fire. "Of course he knows."
He paused before continuing. "We spoke about it at some length after Potter accosted me in the hallway, and I'm afraid we'll have to call on your many talents as an actress."
She let out a deep breath and allowed herself to lean against Minerva's shoulder. "You mean you want me to lie."
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
Hermione took a deep breath and attempted to gather her courage as she watched the sky darken over the lake. The feast would be starting soon, and she would have to leave the safety of Snape's quarters. She supposed it was odd that he had let her spend two nights and the better part of two days in his personal space – in his bed, even – but she rather wished that she could stay longer. Resting her head against the cool glass of the window, she pondered the strangeness of the fact that she would rather spend another night in Professor Snape's bedroom – while he slept on the couch again, of course – than speak with one of her best friends.
When she heard the clock chime six o'clock, she took in another large breath and backed away from the window. Before she lost her nerve, she quickly strode through his quarters, up the stairs, and into the quiet corridor. As she made her way towards the Great Hall, the noise level began to increase as students were arriving for the much-anticipated Halloween Feast. She, however, was hoping she would run into Harry before having to actually enter the hall, for she was neither hungry nor willing to deal with loud noises. Though it was getting better, her head still felt like someone was continuously poking it with a stick.
"Hermione!"
She winced at the shout and spun to face her friend. "Hi, Harry."
Grabbing hold of her hand, Harry pulled her into an empty classroom. "Hermione, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she sighed before holding up a hand and casting a Muffliato as Snape had shown her earlier that day. "We can talk now."
The boy glanced about in surprise at the quiet buzzing sound that surrounded them, but then turned to look at her with concern and guilt written upon his features. "Hermione, I am so sorry! I thought it was a trap, like Sirius, but when you weren't there – I should have helped you!"
"No!" she shook her head. "Harry! You can't do that! You can't just go rushing off to save people! You have to stay safe."
"But he was torturing you!" he shouted desperately.
"That was the point, Harry," she stated in a small voice.
"What do you mean?"
"He was using me to get at you!"
Harry narrowed his eyes. "So I would come after you, you mean?"
"YES!" She threw her hands up in the air and took two steps away from him.
He remained quiet for a few moments as he processed the information. "Snape told me not to tell anyone about what I saw."
"Professor Snape," she corrected.
"If it was just a ploy to get at me, why am I not supposed to tell anyone?"
Hermione sighed, folding her arms against her chest. "Because when he didn't sense you trying to find me, he thought it had failed. Professor Snape managed to convince You-Know-Who that you've been working on Occlumency and are likely shielding your connection… that you didn't see it."
"And he just let you go?" Harry shook his head in disbelief. "Voldemort doesn't just let people go, Hermione."
No, he certainly doesn't. She closed her eyes and looked away from him, ashamed of all of the lies she was spewing. "He wasn't going to, Harry. He was going to kill me, but Professor Snape stepped in and argued that it would be best to not anger Dumbledore as it would bring added suspicion onto himself. Professor Snape said he would Obliviate me instead."
"But he didn't –"
"No, he didn't Obliviate me, because he felt that I needed to know," she responded carefully. "But if you tell anyone, and You-Know-Who finds out about it, Professor Snape and I are both dead, because he'll know that the Professor lied to him."
Harry blew out a deep breath and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "But its Snape, Hermione – I still don't know if I trust him. With Sirius –"
"Stop it!" She shouted as tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't care what you think, Harry, because you're wrong! Professor Snape saved my life! And he didn't let Sirius die! Just how the hell do you think the Order found us? Did you think it was just coincidence that they showed up when they did?"
His face was red, but he seemed to consider the statement. He breathed heavily for several minutes before turning back to her. "How did Voldemort kidnap you?"
Hermione shrugged sadly and shook her head. "I don't know. I was outside, and then it's like everything went black, and when I woke up I was in that field staring at him!"
"Are you sure it wasn't Snape who –"
"NO!" She wiped away the tears that were falling and shook her finger dangerously. "Professor Snape didn't kidnap me, Harry! He didn't get there until later, and you have no idea what he had to do to bring me back alive, so don't you dare suggest it! Don't you dare!"
"Okay, okay," he stated, stepping back from her. "If it wasn't him, then who?"
"I don't know!" she hissed. "I didn't see who it was!"
Harry tugged at his hair. "Was it Malfoy?"
"Harry, I said 'I don't know!'" she reiterated. "Just leave it be! I'm alive, you're alive – just let it be!"
He sighed and then moved towards her, placing a hand on her arm. "Hermione, I won't tell anyone. I swear."
"Not even Ron, Harry!" she qualified. "No one can know!"
"Okay, not even Ron." The boy gave her half a smile and pulled her into a hug. "I love you, Hermione. I would never try to hurt you. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."
Hermione hugged him back and laid her head on his shoulder. "Please, Harry. It isn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself."
Harry embraced her tighter and they held onto each other for several more minutes. Eventually, she pulled away and wiped her eyes.
"You should go, Harry," she whispered. "Enjoy the feast while there's still food."
"You mean before Ron eats it all," he smiled.
She laughed and nodded.
"You're not coming to the feast?" he asked.
"No," she sighed. "I'm not hungry, and my head still hurts. I think I just want to go to bed."
"Okay." He squeezed her arm. "You're okay besides the headache? I checked the Hospital Wing for you yesterday, but Madam Pomfrey said you weren't there."
"I'm okay," she grinned. "And no – I was not in the Hospital Wing. You'd never believe it, Harry."
"Never believe what?" he asked with the raise of an eyebrow.
Hermione giggled slightly as she straightened her shirt. "I had a sleepover with Professor McGonagall."
"You're joking!" Harry laughed. "That's brilliant."
"Yes, but you still can't tell Ron," she covered. "At least not until You-Know-Who is rotting in the grave."
The boy grinned. "It'll be the first thing to leave my lips when Voldemort's gone."
She smacked his arm playfully and rolled her eyes as she made her way to the door.
After a few seconds, the boy sobered his expression. "Do you want me to walk you back up to the tower?"
"I'll be alright on my own," she said, cancelling the muffling spell before she pulled open the door.
Harry watched her leave and waited until she had disappeared up the staircase before he walked the short distance to the Great Hall. As he made his way towards Ron and Neville, he could not help but think about what had happened to Hermione. She seemed alright considering, but it bothered him that he could not do anything to help her. He was not going to tell anyone about it – he had made a promise to her, and he was going to keep it. He had risked her life enough as it was.
As he sat down, he glanced across the room and narrowed his eyes as he spotted the Slytherin table. He bristled, noticing the smirk Draco Malfoy was sending his way.
X x x x x x x x X x x x x x x x X
Hermione frowned as she listened to the sounds of her roommates sleeping. She had laid in bed since leaving Harry downstairs several hours before, but had not managed to close her eyes for any extended period of time. Snape had given her another vial of Dreamless Sleep, but she did not want to take it because she was beginning to hate the mental fog it gave her in the morning. Besides, she had managed to fall asleep without it the night before.
She had fallen asleep rather easily, actually, in Snape's quarters – even without the potion. She had felt safe there, which made it easier to close her eyes.
As a thought began forming in her mind, she let out a deep breath and swung her feet to the floor. She slipped on a pair of flats and then tiptoed her way to the door. When neither Ginny nor Mathina reacted to the sound of the door being pulled open, Hermione sneaked into the staircase and descended into the common room. With a relieved breath, she noted the room was empty.
Quickly, she stole through the room and slipped through the portrait hole. She silently crept through the dark castle, ducking into an alcove at the sound of a cat mewing. When her familiar appeared in her line of sight, she let out a deep sigh.
"Crooks, you scared me! I thought you were Mrs. Norris."
The ginger-furred feline flicked his tail, watching as she slid out of the alcove into the hallway.
"Well, come on then," she whispered, gesturing down the hallway.
Several minutes later, Hermione found herself clutching onto her cat and staring at the painting of the Black Lake. Suddenly, she was beginning to regret her decision. There was no way that she could get in without his permission, and he was likely to be upset that she had even dared. Glancing back up the staircase, she doubted she would get back to the tower without being caught. It was lucky enough that she had made it all the way down here without being seen.
Deciding it was at least worth a try, she raised a tentative hand and touched the gilded frame as she had seen Snape do. When nothing happened, she cursed beneath her breath and turned back towards the stairs. She spun around when Crookshanks jumped from her arms and gave a loud yowl.
"Quiet Crooks," she hissed. "We'll get caught if –"
Hermione paused in the chastisement of her cat when she noticed the painting was elongating into a door. It swung open, and she stared wide-eyed at the darkened room beyond. The door quietly clicked shut after she entered, bathing the room in nearly complete darkness. The only light was the small sliver of moonlight spilling in from the bedroom. Cautiously, she stepped through the sitting room, half expecting Snape to appear from the dark to yell at her. She breathed easier upon pushing open the bedroom door and spotting his sleeping form.
Not wishing to disturb him, she tiptoed back into the sitting room and picked her way over to the sofa. With a soft sigh, she settled comfortably on the couch. When Crookshanks hopped up beside her, she lost herself in the sound of his purrs and closed her eyes to welcome sleep.
A/N: Thanks to severus49 for the putting the book-smacking idea in my head.