Twenty-Two

A/N: I know the ending of the last chapter was a naughty little cliffhanger, so I won't keep you. Big sloppy smoochies, no beta, and all that.

Disclaimer: They are not mine; I only take them out to play.

*******

Hermione fought as hard as she could, but she was a small woman and her invisible assailant seemed large. Punching wildly at the bastard did not stop her being spirited farther away from her love, nor did she have any idea how long Severus would be dazed by the hex he'd been hit with.

"Severus!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs, hoping to rouse him.

The wizards and witches they passed stared in shock as Hermione was hauled down the street. Several drew their wands but looked on in confusion. Her kidnapper was invisible and they seemed too worried about hitting her to try to take down an assailant they could not even see. For all they knew, Hermione was being rushed along by some strange hex, and not a flesh and blood person at all. Only the bruising grip of the hand on her wrist proved to Hermione she had a foe to fight.

She had to do something. She would let no one and nothing separate her from her wizard. Her place was at his side. He belonged to her, and no force on this earth was going to make her leave him. True, she had no wand, but she'd be damned if she would let that stop her.

Redoubling her efforts, she dragged her feet, all the while trying to land a punch or several dozens on her kidnapper. One lucky shot connected, and she heard a small grunt of pain, though not enough to tell her who the bastard was. A man, surely, based on strength alone. Her striking fist felt loose fabric slide against her hand. It had a strange cold and slippery feel to it. Wait a minute. She knew what felt like that.

Determined, she flung her arm out, grabbed a fistful of the slippery stuff, and tugged with all her might. The invisibility cloak slid off its wearer and snagged on where his hand still clenched her arm, dragging on the pavement as it trailed behind them.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, unhand me you bloody stupid bastard!"

"Oh, hi, Hermione," he said as if they had met by accident at a wizarding pub.

There was something very wrong about her ex. His skin was pale and had a gray tinge to it. His glassy eyes rolled wildly as he continued to drag her down the street. A reeking stench assailed her nostrils now that the cloak was off of him. It smelled of soapwort mixed with valerian in an overly full septic tank. Once again, she yanked at the hand that held her, but he remained clamped on so tight he was starting to grind the bones of her wrist together.

At least she could see her target now. With as much force as she could muster, she slammed the palm of her free hand right against his ear with a resounding smack. He stumbled and reached the hand not holding her wrist up to cover his ear, which had to be ringing with the way she'd boxed it.

"Dang, Hermione. What did you do that for?"

"Let me go you fucking imbecile! I'm going back to Severus."

"Oh, no, 'Mione. I can't do that. I can't let you go back to that blighter, Snape. You're my girl and he's been dead for years anyway."

"I'm not your anything, you insane bastard. I'm Severus Snape's witch!"

She hit his ear again then, and he tugged her so hard that she lost her footing. She landed on her arse on the pavement, facing back the way they had come, with Ron stopped beside her. He was tugging ineffectually on her arm, trying to make her stand up. Her attention caught by something else, she ignored him.

An ink spot of black robes twisted through the air and raced down the street. Her wizard was coming to her. Severus was flying. He landed twenty paces behind them, wand in hand and an expression of pure fury on his face.

She'd never seen anything more magnificent in her life.

Witches and wizards who had been cautiously approaching to help Hermione now scattered out of the way, tripping over themselves to give the stalking wizard in black robes plenty of room.

"Weasley!" Severus roared.

The tiniest movement of his wand and Hermione was free. Ron spun towards Severus, a hex already winging its way toward the furious wizard, but Severus deflected it with a negligent flick of his wand. The duel had begun.

Hermione sprang to her feet, wanting to help, but Ron had her wand. She hovered as close to the action as she could without getting hit in the crossfire.

It was no contest. Ron quickly gave ground, firing hex after hex at the figure stalking him with swift, sure strides. Severus deflected them all effortlessly and kept coming. Then he began throwing some hexes of his own. Ron was blasted off his feet, rolled by blow after blow. He tumbled across the pavement until he fetched up against the gutter on the other side, landing in a bruised and bloody pile of limbs.

There Severus stood staring at him, wand pointed right between the redhead's closed eyes.

Hermione rushed to Severus' side. He pulsed with such wild magic that she could see it swirling around him like the air above a hot fire. His wand hand trembled slightly with the mighty effort of keeping himself in check. Ron looked like hell, but he still breathed. Looking up into Severus' face, she could see Ronald Weasley's death in his eyes. She put a hand on his arm, slowly sliding it up until it rested on his wand hand.

"My love, think of Molly. Think of Arthur. Let it be over."

"I want to kill him for daring to touch what is mine," he growled.

"Believe me, I know the feeling. Look at me, Severus. Please, look at me."

With painful slowness, he shifted his eyes to her. His expression softening only slightly as he locked eyes with Hermione.

"You want him to live?" The growl had not softened at all.

"I couldn't be arsed one way or the other, love. But for his parents' sake, yes. They have always been kind to me."

"You'd best take my wand then. I cannot trust myself not to finish what I started."

Reaching her fingers up, she gently took the ebony wood from him. Expecting to feel the thrumming anger of a wand warded against her, she was shocked when the thing lay quietly in her hand. She looked up at him, a question in her eyes.

"Nothing of mine shall ever harm you," he muttered.

He still glared at the pile of Weasley, shaking in rage. Hermione used his wand to cast a silent calming spell.

"I don't want to be calm," he sputtered. "I want to kill him."

"I know, my darling. I know."

She wrapped one arm around his waist and hugged him to her. At last, she could feel the tension begin to leave his body. Her love's wand was being very cooperative, but she wanted her own.

"Accio Hermione Granger's wand."

When it flew from the gutter straight towards her face, Severus plucked it from the air with a movement of his hand so fast that Hermione could barely see it. He handed it to her and she held it and tucked Severus' up her sleeve.

Another soundless spell and her Patronus appeared. "Fetch Harry, emergency." The otter took off like a shot.

The people from the street were beginning to reappear. They gathered in a loose circle around them, keeping a respectful distance and babbling to each other. One brave older wizard approached them, his palms out and empty to show he had no wand.

"Sir, Madam, are you quite all right?"

"We're fine," Hermione assured him. Then she looked to her love. "You are fine, aren't you, Severus?"

"He could not touch me," he said as if the very idea was ridiculous, which it was.

"A foolish young man," the older wizard said. "Trying to take a witch from her mated wizard. You showed great strength of character in not killing him, sir. I admire you for that. We've called the Aurors. You've plenty of witnesses to tell how that ruffian was treating the young lady, as well as how he hexed you first."

"Thank you for your kindness, sir," Hermione said.

"Not at all. Not at all. You let us know if you require anything. And may I say, Mr. Snape, that I am so pleased you survived the war after all."

His eyes remained glued to Weasley, but Severus managed a polite nod.

A shimmer of magic in the air, a loud pop, and Harry appeared. He saw Ron unconscious and Severus still looking daggers at him while Hermione remained pressed up against his side.

"What happened?"

"That idiot tried to take me bodily away from Severus. He had your cloak, Harry. He managed to slow Severus down, take my wand, and drag me halfway to Timbuktu. Look." Raising her arm, she showed Harry her bruised wrist.

"You're hurt!" Severus thundered. "Why didn't you tell me, you witless harpy? Give me my wand."

With one look at his face, Hermione slipped his wand from her sleeve and handed it to him.

"Er...Hermione," Harry said. "Is that wise?"

"It's fine, Harry. He's calm now."

"He doesn't sound calm," Harry muttered.

Severus snatched his wand from her hand, picked her up in his arms, and strode to the opposite side of the street. He sat on the curb with Hermione in his lap.

"Let me see that wrist," he demanded gruffly.

"Yes, dear."

As the Aurors arrived, spoke to Harry, and carted Ron off to St. Mungo's, Severus gently cradled Hermione's wrist and softly sang healing charms to it. By the time Harry came over to plop down on the curb next to them, her wrist was no longer bruised and she could wiggle her fingers without pain.

"Thank you, love," she said. Then she kissed him.

The people on the street cheered madly and then finally began to disperse.

"I don't understand it, Hermione," Harry said. "Why would Ron do that?"

"Do you doubt the word of my witch, Potter?" Severus snarled. "Are you taking that repugnant imbecile's side?"

"Of course not, Severus. Calm down." Harry rolled his eyes at the man sputtering beside him. "I'm not saying that Ron isn't an idiot, only that he isn't normally completely suicidal."

That seemed to placate Severus, and he dropped his eyes to re-check Hermione's wrist.

"I don't know, Harry," Hermione said. "He wasn't acting himself at all."

"Imperious?"

"No, not like that. His eyes were rolling, he looked peaked. He stank like herbs in a sewer."

"Which herbs, pet?" Severus asked, his voice returning to his usual tones for the first time.

"Soapwort and Valerian."

"Harry, have the healers at St. Mungo's check for wizarding recreational drugs. There are several that produce a stench such as Hermione describes if taken in high doses."

"Thank you, Severus. I'll do that. Will you two be all right?"

"We'll be fine, Harry," Hermione answered. "Go ahead, and don't forget your cloak."

Harry apparated away, and Severus stood up, still holding Hermione in his arms.

"I fear I am not up to dealing with the permits today, love."

His eyes burned with fire, and Hermione understood completely. She was having difficulty keeping her hands off of him. After his display of power and love, all she wanted to do was rip his clothes off.

"Take me home, Severus. I want to show you exactly how magnificent you are."

A wizard and his mated witch kissed in the middle of Diagon Alley and then disappeared with a loud clap of sound.