Aftermath: Part 1

Disclaimer: All characters have been created by J.K. Rowling. I'm just mucking around with them and not making any money for it. Bummer.

I'd like to say thanks to Charmed_Nay for finding time to look over my chapters for me.

Severus Apparated outside of the ruined castle with Hermione ensconced in his arms. He felt many things at that moment...freedom, relief, guilt, slight disappointment, and wariness. What would Hermione say once his spell wore off? How would she handle life without her sidekicks? I shall make her happy. Those little warnings she gave me were only idle threats. She and I will find a way to make things work.

"Hermione, we're here," he said softly, noticing that the Dark Lord was already entering.

"Where is here?" she asked, looking around, eyes squinting against the wind.

"Home for now," he said quietly.

"Severus..."

He could see tears welling in her eyes. "It isn't the time for that now. We shall talk about this, but I am certain that my Lord would like to have a word with us."

She shook her head. "I don't want to see that bastard!"

Trying to soothe her, Severus kissed her forehead and pulled her back against him. "We can stay abed as long as we want. We need only go to him when he calls." He squeezed her tightly. "He's quite solitary and doesn't like having others about all the time. This can work, Hermione." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "Do you understand?"

"You betrayed them. You betrayed me."

"I did no such thing," he said in annoyance, though he felt a pang of guilt. "I gave them as much fair warning as I could. I take it you got the message?"

She nodded. "It wasn't enough."

"It was all I had. It's not my fault that Potter wasn't ready," he said snidely. "Now, dry those tears. Come. We shouldn't dally."

Hermione pulled him back and raised her sad, tear-filled eyes up to meet his. "Don't you care that Dumbledore is probably dead? That Harry might be dead? That Ron is dead?" She shook her head and released her hold on him. "When you decided to not help them, you decided to not help me. I loved you. I believed in you."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Speaking in the past tense, are we?" Who did she love now? Potter? The lost Weasley boy?

"You're not who I thought you were." She began backing away. "Please let me go."

"I most certainly will not!" he said in a dangerously low voice. "You will come here, and take your place at my side."

He watched as she looked around to gauge her ability to escape. She wouldn't be able to Apparate, not truly knowing where she was. He would see to it that she didn't find out. Not until she realized that he'd done everything for her.

Scowl fading away, he said in what he hoped was a soft voice, "I promise that we shall have a private talk after we see our Lord, Hermione. You've no place to go except to me." He held out his hand and lowered his eyes as if in shame. "Please. I swear to you that all will be explained."

Hermione placed her hand in his, albeit reluctantly. "I will hold you to that."

Her voice was quavering ever so slightly, and he wished that he could reassure her somehow. It wasn't the time or the place for it. As quickly as he could, he led her inside, mindful of a few pops of Apparition around them as a chosen few journeyed to meet with the Dark Lord. Most of the others had gone to their homes until the time when they would be called upon.

When they entered the Dark Lord's chambers, he felt her hold on his hand tighten and felt her press herself against him. It was quite impressive. On the outside, the old castle appeared to be nothing more than a ruin, but many years of magic had kept the inside as immaculate as it once had been. It likely appeared to Hermione that Voldemort was a king and was holding court. It was always the first impression he had when he'd enter.

"Do not be afraid," he said quietly. "You are welcome here and recognized as my concubine." She simply nodded numbly. He knew this was trying for her, but he'd warned her that this could very well happen. It wasn't as if he'd planned it. Had Potter found the courage and skill to defeat the Dark Lord, then he would have lived on as if it was what he'd truly wanted all along...just as he would do now.

"Leave us," hissed his Lord to the others.

Severus stood proudly with Hermione at his side. Once the others left, he said, "May I present Hermione Granger, Master."

The man gazed at her for a moment, once again looking her over. Finally, he said, "Tell me. How did Dumbledore know that we were coming? I expected to see students running amok, I expected disorder, and I expected to take them by surprise." He stood and walked over to her, hissing to Nagini to stay back. "I made these plans only yesterday. Very few knew." He nodded towards Severus. "Why, even your lover only found out minutes before. What do you know?"

Severus watched as Hermione looked away from the Dark Lord and trembled. "Speak freely," he coaxed. "When he asks you a direct question, you are allowed to talk to him at will." He shrugged at his Lord. "She will learn."

Defiantly, Hermione lifted her head, opened her mouth, and said angrily, "That man told him!"

Working to keep his face blank, Severus bit back a chuckle at her amazed expression. The words had sprang out so naturally that no one, even his Lord, would know that they were fake. The only reason he could tell was because he alone knew that he'd planted a memory with her when he realized that Potter would not win. He'd also made certain that she could not speak of how she'd truly found out about the attack. These mind manipulations left her slightly addled, but that was only a momentary side effect.

"What man?" questioned the Dark Lord.

She looked down in confusion. "It's muddled. Someone wanted me to forget it."

Extending a long, pale finger to lift her chin, his Master asked, "Try to concentrate, child. There is no rush."

Severus, of course, knew that he was gazing into her unblocked mind. He would see flashes of many things, including their sexual activity, but most importantly, he would see the false memory that would incriminate someone else and keep himself and his young lover safe from the Dark Lord's wrath. There was nothing in Hermione's mind that he hadn't told or shown his Master. Nor was there anything that he couldn't explain away easily. A good spy covered all of his bases at all times.

"A man... yesterday evening..." She licked her lips. "I don't know his name. He said he was an inspector, and he went with the headmaster to his office. After that, Dumbledore told us that we might have to prepare for a battle sooner than he'd anticipated and that he'd know more at a later time."

Voldemort released his grip on her chin and moved smoothly back to his throne. "I know of whom you speak. You have done well to tell me this, although I did see that Potter tried to cover it up with a little jinx." He smirked hatefully. "I suppose he didn't want you to tell Severusss."

"Harry would not muddle with my mind!" she said hotly.

Ignoring her, the Dark Lord looked to Severus. "You may take her to your rooms. I am afraid that the best room was previously used by Bellatrix and Rodolphus. It appears that she no longer needs it. Use that one." He nodded. "You did well today. I shall not forget that it was you who guarded my back. Lord Voldemort owes you an extra reward." At this moment, the man looked down to his snake and hissed to her. "She will be safe around Nagini."

"Thank you, Master. You are most gracious," Severus said, bowing slightly.

"After you've settled her in, I would like a word... about a more private mission." He grinned, baring his jagged teeth. "We also have someone to punish later. I knew there was a traitor among us, but he was just too clever. I shall squash him." To accentuate this, he hit the arm of his chair with his fist. "Leave me."

"As you wish." Severus hurriedly guided Hermione to the room that Bellatrix had been using. It was a very large chamber, immaculately furnished. He cast a series of spells about the furnishings, bed coverings, doors, and windows. It was then that he noticed his witch's broken expression. He felt another sudden pang of guilt. "We will be all right," he said quietly as he made his way to the bathroom to run some hot water for the both of them. He felt that they simply needed a long, hot, relaxing bath where they could talk things out. He'd make her see.

Once done, he made his way back into the bedroom to find her standing in the same spot, arms wrapped around her body. "Come, Hermione," he said gently as he guided her towards their bath. She didn't say a word as he undressed her or himself. He stepped into the tub and pulled her in with him, settling her between his legs and bringing her back to rest against his chest. "Talk to me," he said after a long silence.

"I've nothing to say to you," she said, barely audible.

"Things will be different for us for a while, but that doesn't mean that our relationship has to change." He moved some of her hair out of the way and rested his chin on her shoulder. "We still have each other."

"I'm so disappointed," she said sadly.

"Hermione, I would change things if I could, but it happened. We have to adapt and move on. You and I can live and do what we planned on before," he said, hoping to make her see reason.

"Severus, my ex-boyfriend was killed today for trying to save my life. Harry, my best friend, may be dying, and I'm not able to help him. The headmaster, someone who just told me yesterday about how much faith he has in you, was left to defend himself against a large number of Death Eaters." She tried to pull away, but he didn't allow it. "And you hexed Neville! He could have helped Harry!"

"He would have been killed. I would have been killed, and unthinkable things would have happened to you." He kissed her neck. "I did what Dumbledore expected of me. We'd made plans beforehand for worst case scenarios."

"Really?" she asked, turning around to eye him levelly. "Like what? Where were you all the time the fighting was going on?"

"I assisted Minerva," he said conspiratorially, knowing she would appreciate that. He looked away. "I tried to heal Hestia Jones, but there was little I could do with everyone about."

"Hestia Jones?"

"She was with Tonks near the station." He sighed, hoping she'd think that he felt regret. In truth, he never liked Hestia. She was a right bitch on most days. Tonks was annoying as well. "I'm afraid that she died. I also Disillusioned Tonks before any of the others took advantage of her state once the battle started."

"Did you kill anyone?"

"No," he lied.

His reward was to have her lean into him. "What are we going to do? I can't live like this. How are we to find out if Harry lives? If Dumbledore lives?"

"I shall do what I can, but for now, Hermione, I want you to promise me that you'll not hurt yourself." She remained silent. He figured he should give her a moment and slowly started soaping a cloth to pass over her body. As he cleansed away the sweat and grime from the day's events, passing his hands over her lush mounds of flesh, he felt himself becoming aroused. He knew it was likely too soon, but it had been so long for them. He needed her. She said nothing as he gave up the pretense of bathing her to openly caress her center. "I want you," he whispered.

"Not tonight," she said, unable to meet his eyes.

Eyes narrowed, he asked, "You would deny me?"

"My friends are... dead. I just don't feel like being with you tonight."

"They will still be dead tomorrow and the next day," he said coldly, moving her away so that he could rise.

She stood. "I know."

"And you'll still not want to be with me?"

"You'll still be the man that allowed them to die," she yelled suddenly, pushing him back against the wall. "You didn't help them! Not when they really needed you!"

She tried to hit him with her fists, but he deftly restrained her wrists with only one of his hands, pulling them above her head and spinning to put her against the wall. "Never hit me again," he said menacingly. "Would you prefer it to have been me?" he asked when she stopped moving. Hermione looked away, biting her lip. "Do you wish I had died today instead of Weasley or Potter? Hmmm?"

"No," she said beginning to sob. "No, I just... I'm so confused!" She struggled to get away from him. "What spells did you put on me? You did something to me! Why did I tell the Dark Lord about that man?"

He ignored her questions. "Do you love me?" Her sobs grew louder. "I thought the question was quite clear. Should I ask again, slowly forming the words?"

"Yes, I love you," she said angrily. "That doesn't mean I have to like what you do and what you are! It doesn't mean that I have to let you touch me as if nothing is wrong!"

"What am I?" he asked furiously, face contorted with rage. "ANSWER ME NOW!"

"You let Harry lose. I thought you'd be there for us." Tears where streaming down her cheeks, mingling with the droplets of water falling from her wet hair.

"I don't want to talk about Potter, Hermione. He lost because he was incompetent," he growled, lowering his voice and loosening his grip on her wrists. His free hand cupped her face and pulled it up to meet his. "I am NOT the man that failed him or you. I am the man that had no choice but to do what he had to do to guarantee the survival of his woman and himself." He placed a forceful kiss against her lips. "Make no mistake, my dear, but we would all be dead had I acted on Potter's behalf. Dumbledore knew that I would make no move until the time was right." He released her and stepped back. "Why do you think he Vanished Potter? He knew the time wasn't right. Now, you will stop this nonsense."

Leaving her standing there, he pulled a towel from a nearby rack to dry himself off and made his way to the bed. He threw back the duvet and plopped down after he dropped his towel to the floor. This is not going well. He brooded silently for a few minutes, replaying the day's events in his mind. It had been such a long day, yet it all happened so fast. Things could not have been done any differently. He'd been truthful. Potter had allowed worry for Dumbledore to interfere with his dueling. Perhaps he had noticed Weasley's demise. There could be any number of reasons for his inept attempt to defeat the Dark Lord.

He pushed thoughts of Dumbledore away and tried to focus on his current situation. If Hermione continued to be so resentful, his Lord might grow to dislike her and want him to be rid of her. It wouldn't be the first time that a reward was rescinded. Feeling the bed dip behind him, he turned over to see Hermione crawling over to him, naked yet dry. She laid her head upon his chest and silently cried, body shuddering now and then. He eased the duvet up and slowly rubbed her back in what he hoped was soothing motions. He hated her tears. They made him feel... guilty and helpless. He could deal with yelling, anger, and fighting, but these broken emotions were some he didn't want to deal with.

Severus was of the opinion that it was better to stop the tears than to allow them to continue. The best way he knew of was to kiss her. He lowered his lips to hers to press his lips against hers for a light, quick kiss. "Let me help you, Hermione. Let me rid you of the numbness you feel inside."

Hermione said nothing, but her sniffling stopped. He slid one hand down to cup her arse while the other found a breast to knead. His lips located hers again. This time his kiss was more forceful, tongue demanding entrance to her mouth. She obliged by parting her lips and tangling her tongue with his, seemingly urging him to continue. Severus turned her over onto her back; his hands caressed her as his kiss comforted her. It had been too long for him to wait around for foreplay. There would be time for that later. He moved between her thighs and guided his erection to her entrance.

His lips left hers abruptly as he pulled back to study her face. Her eyes were closed, and her cheeks were flushed. When he slid his hardened penis along her labia a few times in search of Hermione's natural lubricant, he felt her squirm beneath him, felt her hold on his shoulders tighten, and saw her top teeth come down to bite down on her bottom lip. It was at this moment that he pushed into her tightness. She wasn't as wet as he would have liked, but that was nothing a few strokes wouldn't take care of.

While he began thrusting slowly within her, he couldn't help but to feel that something was wrong. Yes, she was upset about her friends and the outcome of the battle, but why would she offer herself to him if she didn't want him? He slammed all the way in suddenly and caused her to moan. It was the first sound she'd made. He didn't move, deciding he'd wait until she opened her eyes. The warring of his inner thoughts and indecisions were starting to get the best of him. He felt his erection turning flaccid. This would not do.

Deciding to elicit a response the only way he could, he began forcefully pounding into her, moving their bodies further up the bed with each thrust. Sure enough, she would moan or squeeze her inner muscles each time he ground against her. As he slid a hand between them to stimulate her, she braced her hands on the headboard. Severus enjoyed the pounding of the wood against the stone wall. She finally screamed in orgasm, clawing wildly at the wood with her nails as she did so. The tight grip of her body's convulsions aided him in finding his own release.

He pulled away from her immediately and rolled out of bed, making his way to the loo. That was not exactly what I wanted, he groused to himself. Yes, she'd felt good, but she was normally more responsive or at least actively participated. Though she'd given herself to him, it felt as if he'd violated her or taken advantage of her. Hell, what was he supposed to think? She'd come to bed naked and laid against him, encouraging him with her kisses. No, she'd not deny him her body, but she would deny him her response to his touch. This will not do.

Severus vowed to not touch her again until she begged for it. He relieved himself, washed up, and freshened the clothing he'd been wearing. "I have to meet with my Lord, and if he sends me out, I do not know how soon I can return." Meeting her gaze as she sat up, he added, "Do not think to wander off, Hermione. Remember that Nagini is about. She'll tell the Dark Lord each place you venture off to."

"I'm to be a prisoner?" she asked shrilly.

"No, of course not. Walk about if you'd like. None will harm you. I simply don't want you to think you can leave without my Master knowing." He strode towards the bed and squatted down beside it. "I'll have your word on that."

She grit out, "I won't try to escape."

"Don't be that way."

"What way can I be?" she asked crossly.

"If you loathe me so, why did you give yourself to me?" he asked, stunned that she was so bitter again.

"Well, I'm nothing more than a concubine these days. I just thought I would do my duty," she said snidely.

Severus stood quickly as if burned by her words. "You are to be my wife, not my whore. Be certain you adjust your role accordingly by the time I return." He turned on his heel and fled the room. He nearly warded her in, but if she did try to venture out, he didn't want her to find her way blocked. Perhaps she just needed a little time to adjust to everything. It was a lot to throw at someone so suddenly...especially someone who'd never thought things would go other than as planned. I will make her happy. I swear it, he vowed to himself.

When he faced the Dark Lord again, the man was instantly aware of his difficulty. "She will come round, Severusss. It's all still a shock to her. You said yourself that she wanted Potter to win and believed you to be the boy's savior." He sneered cruelly. "Having her there and having the other one run up only to be killed was exactly what we needed. Potter noticed what had happened. That along with that old fool's plight helped to seal his fate."

Severus nodded in agreement. "I know that she needs time. I only hope that things can quickly be as they were."

"There is nothing one of your potions can't fix," his Master suggested.

"Perhaps," he said noncommittally, "as a last resort." He took the chair near the Dark Lord when offered. "Now, what is your bidding, my Lord?"

"Potter isn't dead," he confided quietly, showing no emotion. "I want you to search for him. Find him before he can heal or before anyone else finds him. Bring him to me. Resume your role as a spy amongst the Order. See if they've heard from Dumbledore. Tell them whatever excuses you'd like. They are all idiots and will believe whatever you say."

Severus nodded. "I don't think this will be a problem."

"Where is the Order of Phoenix's headquarters located?" the man asked suddenly.

"I cannot say," Severus said in disappointment, though he did try.

"Dumbledore still lives; otherwise, I would have sensed something when you tried to speak it. After a Secret-Keeper dies, the magic is still binding, but it's a different sort." He rubbed his chin. "I can only hope that they aren't recuperating together. That would be disastrous for us. I do not believe this to be so, however, as it was a spur of the moment thing to Vanish the boy. That damn songbird of his had to show up and ruin things!"

"I will start at the castle," Severus said, rising. "Would you mind if I took a moment to bring some of my witch's clothing with me. We left with nothing."

"Not at all. You'll likely have to hang about for a while anyway." He smirked. "Stop with the worrying. She will not be harmed here."

Bowing, Severus said, "I warned her to not try to leave. I don't really think she will, but she may explore the castle."

"Lord Voldemort appreciates the job you do, Severusss. Your concubine is safe with me." He cackled wickedly for a moment. "I suppose I should be certain that she doesn't witness our traitor's death. She might feel guilty and have further cause to give you grief." He waved his hand away. "Go. I shall take care of things."

"Yes, my Lord." Severus walked out to the Apparition point and hoped that Hermione would do nothing to anger his Master whilst he was gone. For now, he had to concentrate on his mission for the Dark Lord. He also had to think of exterminating the Death Eaters that were still being held in secret at Hogwarts. He'd told the Dark Lord that they were dead. He couldn't risk him finding out otherwise.

Southern's Notes: I felt that I should stop here. I know that you are probably wondering what Hermione is thinking and if she'll try to get away, but that's in the next chapter, which I've already completed and sent to my very busy beta, Nay. I'll post it as soon as she sends it back to me. I've also started on the chapter after that.