Summary: The rescue.

Warning: Non Consensual sexual situations. Sorry for the delay. FFN being down Friday threw a wrench in my plans. :)

Chapter 21

Hermione couldn't understand it. She'd been trying to loosen her bonds for a while, but she'd only managed to get them loose enough to wiggle her hands. She was trying to shimmy one of them out of the bonds when she heard the doorknob jiggle. She froze as she realized she was out of time.

Ronald burst through the cabin door and glowered at Hermione. He immediately cast a shield in case Hermione threw a hex at him again. Unfortunately, the wandless spell she'd sent at him bounced off it. His wand pointed at her, and he let a stinging hex fly. She winced in pain.

"Enough Hermione! Why can't you just behave?"

"You've got me tied up, Ronald, what do you expect from me?" She glowered at him.

With his wand trained on her now, Hermione felt incredibly helpless.

Ron grinned evilly at her as he came up to her. He brandished the new vial of pearlescent potion in front of her, turning the vial left and right.

"Are you ready?"

"Please, Ron! Don't do this! Not only will you be creating a fake romance, but you'll be destroying your career."

"I reckon I've already wrecked my career. Nothing for it, really. As for the fake romance, you'll love me, and that's all that matters."

"Ron, you can't…!"

The Petrificus Totalis hit her, and she stiffened into a statue. Fear gripped her as she realized she couldn't move at all. She watched as Ron removed the ropes that bound her and picked her up. She was set down on the sofa at an angle, her head resting on the arm of the chair. Ron tilted her head back some and opened her mouth.

She fought to move, but she knew the spell would keep her frozen in place, unable to defend herself in any way.

Ron reached up and pushed her mouth open.

"Now, love, you'll be mine soon."

He poured the potion down her throat and released the body bind curse. She fell back against the sofa. The Amortentia coursed through her body, making her feel odd. She couldn't even try to fight back against Ron because as she looked at him, she felt an affinity for him and knew she'd never hurt him.

"No! It's Severus I want… Severus." She looked up at Ron and whispered Severus' name once more before the potion took hold of her and all thoughts of Severus Snape evaporated from her mind.

Thoughts of Ron replaced them all. Ron, with his rugged good looks. Ron, with his love of Quidditch. Oh, how she adored him. Oh, how she wanted him!

"Ron!"

He grinned, gloating that Hermione was looking at him with such devotion. She sprang from the couch and grabbed Ron, wrapping him in her arms and placing a wanton kiss on his lips.

"That's better," he murmured before pulling her to him and assaulting her with his tongue.

"Oh, Ron, I love you so much!" Hermione cried once Ron had stopped his onslaught. "You're everything I have ever wanted!"

"I love you too. You'll be mine forever, yeah?"

"Of course! I never want to be apart from you."

"And we'll have a hoard of children together. Your belly will always be swollen with my offspring."

"Oh, yes! I want to have your babies. I want you. Please, Ron… make love to me. Make me yours."

He grinned devilishly at her. "It's all I've wanted to do, love. Come then, let's make our joining official."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him eagerly to the bedroom. He pushed her down onto the bed and climbed on top of her. Massaging her breast, he plundered her mouth as well, tangling his tongue with hers. She groaned in ecstasy as she reached for his pirates, grasping them lightly.

"Oh, Hermione."

He pulled her top off her, revealing a black bra. "It's like you prepared for me," he muttered.

He slowly eased her trousers off and admired her black thong. He was going to fully enjoy himself with her. Unsnapping her bra, he pulled it down off her, exposing her breasts. He pushed her back along the bed and fondled her breast some more. His tongue assaulted her, intruding into her mouth, taking control of her the way he wanted to. He would take her, and she would be his always!

His hand moved down and crept beneath her knickers. Suddenly, he froze. She looked up at him and growled as she started unbuttoning his shirt furiously.

"Come on!" she urged.

"The Wards. Someone has found us. Well, you're mine now. They'll just have to give up on getting you back!"

Ron got up from the bed and raced to the door, opening it to find Robards, Harry, Severus, Jonathan, Arthur, and Molly all outside of the cabin. Harry was working diligently to lower the wards. Ron stepped out and held his hands up.

"Don't bother. She wants to stay with me."

Severus sneered at Weasley. "Let her come out here, then."

"Hermione, love," Ron called over his shoulder.

Hermione emerged from the cabin wearing a flowery silk robe and not much else. She wrapped her arm around Ron's waist. She kissed his cheek and looked out at the group facing them.

Severus felt like he wanted to throw up. He would kill Weasley where he stood, but he had to find out what was making Hermione act this way. If it was a love potion, there were antidotes for that. With the Imperius, he would force Weasley to release her once he was in containment. But if Weasley had developed a specific spell… well, his death would either mean the spell would dissolve, or it would remain affecting Hermione forever.

Hermione laid her head on Weasley's shoulder.

"See," Ron said. "She's perfectly happy with me."

Arthur gave Ron a worried look. "Son, why don't you come with us? We'll talk all of this out."

Ron grew angry. "Oy, there's nothing to talk about. Hermione and I want our privacy. That's why I wanted a Fidelius charm on this place, but I guess I put my trust in the wrong person!" He glared at Harry with a death look.

Harry swallowed. "Ron, when you asked me to do this, I didn't know it was so you could kidnap Hermione."

Ron bore his teeth at Harry in a snarl. "Does it look like she's been kidnapped?"

Hermione leaned up and kissed his cheek again. He turned and kissed her full-on. She opened to him and he plundered her mouth.

Severus about lost it. He raised his wand, but Harry stilled him. "Wards aren't down yet, Snape."

"What did you do to her, Weasley?" Severus snarled.

"Not a thing. She just realized who she truly wanted."

Harry had been working on the wards the whole time they were talking. The last one finally fell, and he shot a stunner at his friend. Caught unaware, Ron was thrown to the ground, dragging Hermione with him.

"Oh, Ron! Are you all right?" Hermione cried as she got up and leaned over him.

He quickly sat up and shot spells at Harry and Severus, but he was outgunned. Arthur sent an Incarcerus at him, and he was wrapped up much like Hermione had been earlier.

Severus quickly raced up to Hermione.

"Hermione, did he hurt you?"

She looked at Severus as if he was mad. "Ron? He could never hurt me." She gazed down lovingly at Ron on the ground and caressed his face. "He loves me…"

Gawain, Jonathan, and Harry had rushed past the three in the entryway. Robards came back with the empty vial.

"Amortentia," he declared as he passed the vial to Severus.

Severus smelled the vial, noting old books, Honeysuckle, and hot chocolate. All things he associated with the woman who now was infatuated with the Ginger menace on the ground. He looked over at her.

"Hermione, he gave you Amortentia, didn't he?"

"Oh, yes! He wanted me to understand just how much he loved me and help me to understand how much I want him."

Severus eased her off the ground. She reached for Ron, but Severus held her back.

"Hermione, they need to… help Weasley. He's been hurt, see?"

"Oh, I have to help him myself!"

Severus pulled her back away from the cabin. "Let the others work." He grit his teeth. "You can go to him when he's healed."

"Thank you, Severus. You've been so helpful."

She turned from him, and he wanted to pull all his hair out. That cad had forcibly made her want him. He was disgusted. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a vial. He reached out to Hermione, who was once again trying to make her way back to Ron.

"Here," Severus said as he pulled her around. "Take this."

She took the potion in her hand and looked at it. "What is it?"

"It's a calming draught," he lied. "My own variation."

"Oh, thank you, Severus. If you made it, I'm sure it will work perfectly!"

She downed the potion and swayed on her feet. Severus caught her and waited for her head to clear. After a minute, she looked at him and burst into tears.

"Oh, God! He… he…"

Severus pulled her to him. "Shh, you were under the spell of Amortentia, love. Whatever happened…" He swallowed hard, hoping Weasley hadn't raped her, because that's what it would have been had they had sex–rape.

She shook her head into his chest. "He'd just given it to me when you all came. But we were… we were in his bedroom. He'd undressed me. A couple more minutes and we'd have…" She looked up at him. "I fought it. I promise. I just couldn't…"

"Shhh. It's okay. I know, I know. It's impossible to fight it off. It's too strong."

"You don't hate me?"

"Merlin, witch, how could I ever hate you? Weasley, now, yes, I hate him, but you were a victim here."

She rested her head on his chest. "Thank you for saving me before it was too late."

"I will always come for you."

She looked up at him, and he bent low and kissed her lovingly. "I was so worried about you," he admitted after he'd kissed her thoroughly. "I'm glad all he gave you was a love potion."

She huffed. "It was like he was a different person, Severus. I've never seen him act like that."

Severus looked at her with concern. "Do you think something's happened to him?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm, wait here."

She didn't listen to him, following him back to Ron.

"Hermione! Tell them you're with me."

She frowned at him. "Your plot failed Ronald. Severus gave me the antidote to the Amortentia you gave me."

Severus stooped down, looking up at Robards.

"I want to use Legilimency to see if there's something influencing Weasley."

Gawain gave him a quick nod.

"Stay out of my head, Snape! You can't do that to me. You Imperiused Hermione, didn't you? Why else would she…"

"Legilimens."

After a few minutes, he ended the spell and stood. Looking at Robards, he revealed what he'd seen.

"He's been Imperiused."

"Could you tell by whom?" Gawain asked.

"It seems that someone we thought dead has managed to survive. Rabastan LeStrange did this. He was Polyjuiced at the Leaky Cauldron and heard Weasley complaining to Potter about Hermione. Evidently, Weasley said she was attracted to me. When Weasley went to the Loo, LeStrange followed and Imperiused him, increasing his insane ramblings and actions against Hermione."

"But why would he do that?" Potter asked.

"To get back at Severus," Hermione murmured. "If I was taken or hurt, or forced to leave him… It's a way to get back at him for his spy work."

Severus nodded. "I agree."

"Harry, would you and Arthur take Ronald to St. Mungo's?" Gawain asked. "They'll need to see if they can release him from the Imperius. Severus and I will need to find LeStrange."

"I got the feeling that Rodolphus has survived as well," Severus muttered.

"Then we will find both of them."

Severus nodded. "I will take Hermione home now."

"I'll be in touch," Robards said.

Jonathan stepped up and hugged Hermione furiously. "I'm glad you weren't hurt, Hermione."

She hugged him back and smiled ruefully at him. Severus stepped up to Hermione, grasping her arm. He nodded at Jonathan, and they spun away. They appeared directly in his quarters. He pulled her to him.

"I was so worried," he whispered to her.

"Me too. Let me put some clothes on."

"Hermione, you're fine. Just… tell me what happened."

She sighed but nodded. Her eyes got big as she looked up at him. "He was unhinged. I thought he was going to hurt me more than he did."

Severus pulled back from her. "What did he do?"

"He slapped me across the face… sent a hex too. I used wandless magic to destroy his first vial of Amortentia, and he was furious. That's why I hadn't been under the influence very long when you all got there." She swallowed hard. "He undressed me… Took off my bra… Fondled me."

She was quiet for a bit as Severus squeezed her to him. Finally, she cried out. "I wanted him to do it to me!"

He kissed her forehead. "Hermione, it was the potion, not you."

"But I should have… I could have…"

"No. You know how powerful Amortentia is. No matter what you wanted, it would make you love him and want to make love to him."

"Oh, God. He kept touching me!" She buried her head in his chest and sobbed. He rubbed her back and whispered that it was okay. She continued crying bitterly. After a long while, her tears eased some.

"I'm going to kill him," Severus muttered.

She pulled back and looked at him. "He was Imperiused, Severus. Please…" she gasped. "Let's just forget about him. I just want you to hold me and make this nightmare go away."

He studied her face. Seeing how much she needed comfort, he wiped her tears and pulled her to him. Pulling out his wand, he cast his Patronus and sent it to tell Minerva that Hermione was safe. Leading her to the bedroom, he settled them on the bed and pulled her to him again. She cuddled into him, continuing to cry.

Kissing the top of her head, he just held her.

"Would you like a real calming draught?" he asked her softly.

She shook her head, just grasping at him harder. He squeezed her closer to him.

"I love you," he whispered.

She nodded. She shuddered into him as her tears continued.

"It's okay, love. You're safe here with me."

She took a couple of gulps before speaking again, talking into his chest. "That's the thing, Severus. He got to me with you standing right there. How did I let my guard down like that? The broken necklace should have clued me in that something was wrong."

"I should have forgotten about the owl treat and been there when you opened it. I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for anything. He's the one who needs to apologize. He violated me! I feel so exposed."

Severus squeezed her lovingly. "You're safe here with me. Nothing and no one is going to hurt you."

She was quiet for a while. He held her close as she continued to cry into his chest, just letting her be.

"Thank you for coming to find me," she said finally.

"If Potter hadn't been made his secret keeper, it would have taken a lot longer to find you. I hate to say this, but he saved the day."

Hermione sniffled again.

"What can I do?" Severus said. "I feel so useless right now."

She shook her head into his chest. "This is helping. You're doing exactly what I need."

"Okay." He tried hard not to let her hear his voice breaking, but she did and squeezed him.

"You're doing everything right, Severus. Don't feel guilty about anything. Just being here in your arms makes me feel whole again."

He kissed the top of her head. They lay there for a while until both of them fell asleep from all the intensity of the day.

ooo

They awoke several hours later. It was late and the room was dark. Severus looked over at Hermione, who was blinking at him.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

She sighed and nodded. "Better."

He kissed her forehead and held her close. "I'm glad you are feeling more yourself."

"Thanks to you," she offered.

He squeezed her. They had been lying in each other's arms for a bit when there was a knock on the door. Severus turned and sat up.

"I'll get it. You stay here."

Hermione nodded at him as he rose from the bed and headed to the door. Opening it, he found Jonathan there looking worried.

"Is she okay?" Jonathan asked quickly.

Severus nodded and stepped aside to let him in. Jonathan turned and looked at Severus.

"I guess the real question is are you okay?"

Severus smirked. "I am. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt. Weasley being Imperiused was unexpected. Luckily not much had happened after he gave her the Amortentia."

"Merlin, Severus, I'm glad we got there when we did!"

Hermione emerged from the bedroom at that point. "Thanks to the two of you, I am fine. You and my knight in shining armor here rescued me before anything horrific took place."

Jonathan hugged her. "Thank heavens. I'm glad he didn't take advantage of you."

She hugged him tightly. "Well, he did take advantage, but it was kissing and fondling. Everyone came just in time before something horrid happened."

Jonathan glanced at Severus, who gave him a thin lipped nod.

"I'm surprised he's still alive."

"I was close to ending him, but I was more concerned about Hermione and getting her cured from the love potion. Then when I realized the whelp had been Imperiused, it wasn't quite as important to get revenge on him. I probably should have ended him anyway."

"I don't think anyone would have blamed you had something unfortunate happened."

"There were more important things to concentrate on," Severus said as he gave Hermione a meaningful look.

She came up to him and wrapped her arm around his waist, putting her head on his shoulder.

"He's been incredibly sweet in working through this with me."

"Hermione, I am not sweet," Severus ground out.

"I think she disagrees with you, Severus," Jonathan said with a chuckle.

"I definitely do."