Chapter 4

A/N: I want to warn the readers that this chapter contains child abuse and attempted rape. I have written it in a way that makes the intent clear without being explicit. I apologize in advance if this chapter offends you, and I promise, it is not for gratuitous reasons that I have written about child sexual abuse. Later, there will be a connection made between this event and another event in a much later chapter. Thanks to WriterMerrin who advised me and beta'd this chapter.

***

The start of the summer was uneventful. Between continuous spiteful comments from Lily's sister, Petunia, and the cold shoulder from Snape, Hermione easily found herself to be out of the loop. This made for interesting examination. She watched very carefully how Lily, the loved child, was petted and coddled while Petunia was largely ignored and passed over. If Petunia hadn't been so mean and hateful, Hermione might have found it within her to feel sorry for her.

Snape made good his threat. He would come over every day to Lily's house and take her away for a walk, go to the park, or just to talk alone. He deliberately made Hermione feel unwelcome by whispering in Lily's ear, giving angry looks, and sometimes even telling Lily he really needed to talk with her privately. Lily would always ask Hermione to join them, but after a while, Hermione refused. At first, she would sit alone as Snape and Lily went off by themselves. She didn't want Lily to feel bad, but it became apparent that she was just a third wheel. The first time she declined to even go walking with them one day, Lily had looked hurt, but went with Snape anyway. Hermione gave her a half-hearted smile as the redhead allowed herself to be pulled away by a very determined Snape.

"You know, I was wondering when you were going to get smart and leave them alone."

Hermione turned and saw Petunia behind her with a sour look on her face.

Hermione walked away, and Petunia grabbed her arm. "I may have lost her because I hurt her feelings, but believe me, you will lose just as well. That Snape boy won't let you have her!"

Hermione let out an impatient breath. "Petunia, let go of my arm!" she said angrily. She pulled away and said, her eyes narrowed, "I don't know what you meant by that, but it's not a contest. Lily isn't a prize; she's a person! She can choose who she wants to spend her time with. It's not for me or anyone else to decide."

Petunia laughed in her face. "Oh, and you really think he lets her choose?" she sneered.

"Lets her?" Hermione repeated. "You are unbelievable! Between you and Snape, it's a wonder Lily ever gets any peace of mind!" She shook her head and walked back to the bedroom she shared with Lily.

Later that night, after she and Lily had settled in for the night, Lily started to talk to her about Snape.

"Hermione," Lily whispered. "I'm sorry you've been left out...it's just...well, Severus doesn't have anyone who cares about him. The past two summers have been very precious for him. He doesn't have a good home. I think his parents are very cruel to him. He doesn't like people to know, he's kind of proud, you know? That's why he likes to talk to me alone. I just can't take our times together away from him. I know I'm being a bad friend to you, Hermione, it's just..."

"Please, Lily," Hermione assured her. "Don't worry, please, don't worry. I know Snape is a good friend of yours. Don't mind me. I usually just like to sit outside and read anyway. It's no problem, really."

So it continued for the rest of the month. Then came the day Hermione had to go stay at Spinner's End. All this time, Hermione had never seen Snape's house and wasn't so sure she wanted to go. She soberly packed her bag and said thank you to the Evanses for their hospitality. Snape came round to pick her up, and they walked slowly to his home.

"I do hope you remember what I told you about my house," he said abruptly.

Hermione nodded and kept silent.

Snape looked at her. "Tell me what I said!" he snapped.

Hermione jumped at the tone in his voice. "Um, you said not to tell anyone what goes on at your house," she replied.

"That's right," he said haughtily.

Spinner's End was a horrible place. It was filthy and needed cleaning as desperately inside as it did outside.

As soon as Snape led her in, she came face to face with Professor Snape...except he wasn't wearing teaching robes. She fairly jumped out of her skin. He was dressed in a Muggle factory uniform. He had the same grim expression, lanky, greasy hair, and hooked nose. Hermione fairly shuddered under his gaze. He reeked of beer and old sweat. He leered at her, making her feel dirty. She didn't like this man.

"So, what's this, eh?" he said gruffly.

Hermione's mouth gaped open. He didn't have the smooth, silky voice of Professor Snape. He reached in his shirt pocket, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

Snape addressed his father rather tersely. "Dad, this is Hermione Granger from Hogwarts. She can't go home this summer, so she's been staying with the Evans family. They are going to France for three weeks. Granger is staying with us."

"An' I suppose to eat our food an' take up our space, I reckon?" he said between drags.

Snape was silent. It seemed he didn't need to respond.

Hermione spoke up. "Sir, I intend to earn my keep. I'm Muggle-born, so I am used to cleaning without magic. I can do whatever needs to be done around here. I can help Mrs. Snape with the cooking and washing as well," she said passionately.

Mr. Snape smiled, but it was a nasty smile. "Me name is Tobias. Me wife's name is Eileen." He looked directly at Snape and said, "Well, lad, 'tis a good thing she come here innit? Your mum left today for Bristol."

"What? Why?" asked a confused Snape.

"Your stupid great-aunt is sick. She's gone to wave her wand and do her hocus-pocus nonsense."

He looked back at Hermione. "You know cleaning spells and such?" he asked roughly.

"Yes, some," Hermione said eagerly. I'm still learning, though. But if there are books on the subject I can learn!" Her face fell suddenly. "Although, I'm not supposed to do magic outside of school. Perhaps when Mrs. Snape is back, I can do magic with her."

Mr. Snape gave a snort. "Perhaps if Her Ladyship gets back in time, you can teach the old bint a thing or two about being a proper woman!" he sneered.

He turned to leave, and as he reached the door, he said to his son, "You'd best have my dinner on the table, my lad, by seven o'clock, or I'll take me belt to your backside!"

Snape nodded in reply.

Mr. Snape gave Hermione another once over. "It will be a real pleasure having you, Hermione," he said lustfully.

When he left, Hermione was shaking. "Oh shit, oh shit!" she said over and over. Snape took her by the shoulders and spoke fast and quietly.

"Look. I'll get you the spell books, and you can do the cleaning charms. Don't worry about the Underage Magic nonsense. My mum is a witch; I'm sure they can't tell the difference between who is using magic. The problem is that my dad is a pig, a foul, evil pig, and you need to stay away from him."

"And how do you suppose I do that?" Hermione demanded with her arms crossed.

"I'll tell him you are my girlfriend, okay? He's been on me since I started on at Hogwarts if I've gotten... uh... a girlfriend. I don't think he'd bother you if he knows we are together." His face hardened, and Hermione could see the beginnings of the older Professor Snape she knew lining his face. "He'll probably be overjoyed I'm not a faggot," he said snidely.

"Can you cook, Granger?" he asked suddenly.

"Some basic things," Hermione replied honestly.

"Well, I'll teach you some more things, and together we'll make dinner."

***

Dinner was delicious. Hermione could tell Mr. Snape was pleased. He polished off his fourth beer and announced that Hermione's cooking was a vast improvement on the tripe he usually had to eat.

"So, Hermione, you're a Muggle, then?" he asked as she began to pick up the dishes. "What is your relationship with my boy? Are you his girl?"

Hermione blushed and said, "Yes, we've been together for a while."

She was clearing off up at the table and felt a warm heat behind her. Mr. Snape grabbed her by her arms and jerked her back into his chest. He rubbed a hand across her intimately.

"Is my boy fuckin' you good and proper then?" he whispered in her ear.

"Uh, yeah." She replied stupidly as her body stiffened in revulsion.

"Good, then I expect you sleep to in his room. No use dirtin' another room. If you are already shaggin' anyway, you have my blessing."

Hermione removed herself from him. He laughed and went to go watch telly.

Snape came back from the store with more beer for his dad. Hermione dragged him into the kitchen and told him what his dad did to her.

Snape took her hand, led her back into the sitting room past his father, and opened the door to the stairs. He dragged her up into his bedroom. "Take off your underwear," he ordered coldly.

"What?" Hermione screeched.

Snape pushed her against the wall and placed his hand over her mouth. "Listen to me, Granger. We have to do things a certain way if he's going to believe this. Now hand over your knickers!"

She undressed as he turned his back to her. Hermione looked at him in disgust. He rubbed them into his bed sheets. Hermione was aghast.

Snape saw the revulsion on her face. "Look, my dad knows when someone is shagging or not. The nose is not merely for aesthetics! He'll be expecting to smell you on me and for the sheets to smell like sex. Now, don't wear underwear when you come to bed, it will help the smell to permeate the sheets." He face grew dark as she shuddered in her disgust.

"The least you could do is be a little bit grateful!" he snapped. "I could just make this all simple and just shag you, but I'm trying to be as considerate as I can. Gryffindors! You all think things are so cut and dry. Well, in this house, you do what you must to stay alive!"

"What the bloody hell are you yelling at me for?" Hermione shouted.

Snape pulled her close to him. "Bloody is a right good choice of word! I know you are a virgin, Granger. If you want to walk out of this house that way, you would do best by following my rules!"

"Okay," she agreed. "Just don't try anything!" she warned him.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested!" he snarled.

***

Sleep that night was difficult. Since neither had slept with a member of the opposite sex, it proved to be an uncomfortable night. It was impossible to sleep in Snape's bed without accidentally touching each other. Hermione had a difficult time relaxing. Whenever they bumped into each other, she stiffened, and Snape huffed in exasperation. Hermione was exhausted as she stumbled downstairs to go to the outhouse the following morning.

She came out to raised voices.

"I said I'd get your beer while you were at work!" Snape yelled.

Hermione saw Mr. Snape backhand his son and push him out of the kitchen. "Don't you back answer me, my lad. Now don't come back for at least an hour!" he yelled.

"I want Granger to come with me!" he yelled as he looked at Hermione.

"Stop your sniveling, you little dunderhead, now get!" he snarled.

Hermione came down and Mr. Snape was waiting for her. "Mornin'," he sneered. Why don't you make us some breakfast?" he asked, his tone dripping with saccharine sweetness.

Hermione set to cooking. A horrible feeling of foreboding washed over her, and she felt her adrenaline begin to rush through her veins. She wanted to run, but where could she go? She was at the mercy of this looming, sadistic man. Hermione felt a familiar feeling akin to how her stomach would flutter during Potions class when Professor Snape would glide up and down the rows, glaring and biding his time to pounce upon an unsuspecting student and verbally shred them. She focused on whipping the eggs and tried hard to shut out the fear that was creeping over her when he suddenly grabbed her from behind. The ceramic bowl full of eggs fell onto the floor and crashed.

Hermione tried to fight, but Mr. Snape had his hand firmly around her waist. He slammed her prone onto the kitchen table. The first thing to go was her wand, as he ripped it from her jeans' pocket and flung it across the room. He had his hips pressed against her, trapping her. She screamed and screamed for help as her jeans were ripped down after he'd picked her up and slammed her supine on the table, but he clamped a filthy hand over her mouth. She felt fumbling, and a chuckle came out of Snape's father.

"So, my son doesn't have the bollocks to make you a woman? Well, I can do that for you, lass."

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" shouted someone from behind her rapist. Mr. Snape froze up, and Hermione pushed him off her with her foot. She lay on the kitchen table, sobbing hysterically.

Snape ran over and helped her. Hermione felt like her hips were broken. She looked into his eyes and tried to talk, but the words wouldn't come out. She covered her face with her hands and continued to sob.

She felt herself lifted upright and clothed. Then a pair of warm arms were holding her close and walking her to the couch.

"Granger, I'm sorry. I knew what he was going to do. I knew if I fought him it would just be worse in the end. I couldn't risk getting thrashed unconscious and then leave you to fend for yourself," Snape explained.

She was shaking, and he held her tighter. "I-I s-sup-pose you're i-in t-trouble?" she stuttered as her body shook.

Snape laid her head on his lap and covered her with an afghan. "I don't know, Granger. I want to think not since this is a magical household. The Ministry knows this, and they won't know exactly who cast the spell. At least I hope so. I have always been too afraid to try it. I didn't want to risk getting expelled from Hogwarts," he replied softly.

"I'm so cold!" Hermione said as she shivered.

Snape helped her back into his rooms and tucked her into bed.

"Please stay. Please. I'm afraid to be alone," she said fearfully.

"Let me take care of a couple of things, and I will be right back, I promise," he said gently.

He left the door open, and she heard some shuffling noises and then the scribbling of a quill on parchment. He returned and got under the covers with her.

"Thank you, Snape," she whispered.

"You're welcome, Granger," he replied.

Hermione burrowed into his thin chest as he wrapped an arm around her protectively and curled up into a ball. She inhaled his scent. It was nice in a strange way. How, she couldn't explain, but she felt safe.