Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I'm snagging some of JKR's characters to play around with. I'll send them home later.

Thanks go to Charmed_Nay for the beta!

Hermione snuggled into the warmth at her side and sighed in contentment. There was rain pelting on the rooftop, and the cool air helped it to keep her in a sleepy state. Life had been good to her. She and Ron had married and had beautiful children. Her son was tall with black, silky locks and dark eyes to match...just like his father. Her eyes opened with a snap. Ron had red hair of course...not black! Severus.

She and Severus were lying together...legs entwined, her head on his chest and her arm around his waist while both of his arms held her to him tightly. There was a dull thud in her head, which was a telltale sign she'd drank too much wine the night before, but what had happened wasn't foggy at all. She remembered every detail of it and could feel her cheeks heating as the memories of their shared passion replayed in her mind. He'd wanted her, had said it plainly and had tried to show her.

And she'd liked it and wanted him in return. She was uncertain exactly what had stopped her from allowing him to have his way with her. And the excitement and curiosity of what might have been faded only to be replaced by guilt. Ron. She'd betrayed Ron. What she'd done had not been acting. She'd not been putting on a show for anyone. She'd wanted Severus Snape beneath it all, and she'd enjoyed what they'd done together.

What would he say? How could she face him now? Promptly closing her eyes, she decided to pretend to be asleep until he got up and left their room. Surely she could figure something out by then.

"I know you're awake," Severus said, voice still laced with sleep.

"Good morning," she said, trying to sound calm, though she was mortified about her near nakedness.

"If you wouldn't mind turning over, I'd like the use of my arm again."

"Sorry," she mumbled and pulled back and away from him, quickly turning on her other side. He hadn't sounded angry, so things might be all right after all. To her surprise, which she hid admirably, he scooted closer to her, slipping one of his legs between hers and placing a hand on her waist. He was still completely naked, as she could feel his morning erection pressing against her arse. Unsure of what to do, and not wanting to be awkward, she moved her arm so that it would rest on his, their hands touching...hers covering his.

She felt him nuzzle into her hair and inhale deeply. "How do you manage to smell like citrus, even here? I've always associated that scent with you."

Surprised, but not displeased, she replied, saying, "When I was little I would always go to my father's parents' home, and my grandmum always had fresh oranges. It's something that reminds me of being happy, so in third year when you taught us how to make scented oils, I began making my own and dab some on me each day. The scent lasts a very long time and is just subtle enough to not be overpowering. Well, at least that's what Mum says."

"How did you make it here? I haven't the ingredients."

"I had a shrunken bottle in my pocket that day."

"I checked your pockets."

"Not my hidden pocket," she said a little smugly. "I'm nearly out though, and I normally use a similar scent in my hair, depending on what's for sale."

"I will see it done," he said quietly, moving his head slightly.

She was certain he'd just kissed her head affectionately and smiled softly. Was this how it felt to lie with a lover after a night of lovemaking? She and Ron had never done anything like this. Why hadn't they? It felt so right, someone to hold her, keeping her warm and safe from the evil in the world.

"Thank you, Severus."

"I suppose I should get up. I have to go to see the Dark Lord this morning. Since Wormtail's untimely and fortunate demise, there are other things that I need to see to." He squeezed her tightly and pressed his lips to her head once more. "Do you need anything other than that?"

"Nothing," she replied easily, snuggling more deeply under the duvet after he moved away.

He lit a lamp, casting more light in the dimly lit room. She opened one eye to watch him covertly. He was quite thin and about the same height as Ron, but he moved with a grace Ron could never possess and seemed more confident in himself. When he bent over to grab a pair of underpants from a drawer, she bit her lip while staring at his firm, white arse. In that moment, she almost wished that he'd turn around so she could see exactly what she'd been touching the night before, what had just been pressed firmly against her backside, but as always, he kept his back to her. After he pulled his robes over his fresh underpants, he turned back to her and caught her looking.

Smirking slightly, he said, "Very good... this morning."

"Sorry?"

"The Dark Lord will be pleased to have our conversation to send along to Potter. He'll think we were waking after a night of sex." He glided over to the dresser to pick up a hairbrush.

Hermione swallowed. So it had been only an act to him. It hadn't been real. Feeling foolish and disappointed, she closed her eyes, not wanting to see him...and not wanting him to see that she was upset.

"Nothing to say?" he asked.

"Are..." Her voice cracked. "Are you going to show him last night?"

"I...no..."

He turned on his heel and left her alone without another word. It serves me right, she thought bitterly. What was I thinking anyway? How could I have let myself feel like that about him? I'm so sorry, Ron. What exactly did she feel anyway? It wasn't love, and she supposed it could be categorized as lust, but that didn't seem right either. "So confused."

To her horror, tears filled her eyes. Why had this disappointed her so much? She should have known better. "Well," she muttered, "it won't happen again. Shouldn't have in the first place."

"Granger?"

Hermione froze. Rabastan Lestrange had just called her name. She debated on pretending to be asleep so that she didn't have to answer him, but Severus might have mentioned that she was awake or he might have heard her talking to herself.

"Yes?"

"Can I have a word?" he asked.

"I don't think so," she said, horrified that she was still in bed and in the very undressed state she'd been in the night before. If she got up now, he would likely see her through the filmy curtain.

"Look, I just want to talk. I'll go over by the fire, and you can come there."

"All right," she agreed, uncertain as to why. When she heard his receding footsteps, she slid from the bed, pulling the duvet up with her...just in case.

After dressing hurriedly and brushing her hair, she peeked out into the other room. Only Rabastan was present. Where had the others gone? Was this a trap? She hoped he wouldn't try anything like he had the last time. The only thing that gave her the courage to walk over to him was the fact that she knew he still wasn't all the way healed.

"What do you want?" she asked, standing up instead of taking the seat he'd indicated.

He sat back and shook his head so that his long, brown hair wouldn't hide his eyes. "You and me, we didn't start off right."

She looked around uncomfortably for a moment. "I have something to do, and I shouldn't have come out." Taking a step back, she resisted the urge to run back to the safety of her room. She should have never agreed to join him, especially with Severus gone.

"You have nothing to fear from me, lass, ever again." He smiled crookedly. "I'm trying to say that I appreciate what you did for me, taking care of me that way."

"Oh... you're welcome."

He stood and pulled something from his robes, causing her to take a step back. "Thought you might like to read this... sort of a friendly gesture." It was his turn to look around uneasily. "I don't know how much Severus tells you about things out there." He shrugged. "If you'd rather not..."

"No," she said immediately, moving towards him and taking the paper from his hand. "The Daily Prophet! I don't know what to say."

"Say thanks."

"Thank you."

He smiled again. "Right then." He sat back down. "Say, do you play chess?"

"Not really."

"Come. I'll show you."

She looked down at the paper and wished he'd just let her go and read it, but if he was trying to be kind to her, she should allow it. One never knew when an extra ally would be needed. "My boyfriend plays well."

"Boyfriend?"

"Er, yes... well, I suppose not any longer."

"Not with Severus making you his own, eh?" he said jovially. "You're right good for Severus, I think. Haven't seen him this way in almost twenty years. Hell, I was in bloody Azkaban most of it, but still..."

"He's had a girlfriend before?"

"Yeah, back in school there was a girl." He set up the board. "Jealous?"

Her cheeks flushed brightly. "Just curious."

"Mmmhmm," he said in disbelief. "I told him she wasn't good for him, but he didn't listen. Stubborn, see. Guess you can't choose the ones you love. She...owww! Shite!" He dropped the Bishop he'd been placing on the board.

"Are you all right?"

"Me hand, it hurts." He rubbed it with his other hand. "Been twitching all morning, but it feels like little blades are sticking me."

"Do you want anything for the pain? Severus has some potion available."

"Aye."

Hermione quickly went to pour a dose in a cup for him and brought it back, watching him toss it back immediately. After a few deep breaths, some of the color returned to his cheeks. "Better then?"

Rabastan nodded.

"What happened exactly?" she asked, wondering if he'd tell her. Severus had changed the subject each time she'd asked, just saying that Wormtail had met his demise on some mission.

"Wormtail and me, we went to retrieve something for the Dark Lord. Wormtail, the bloody berk, didn't follow instructions...drank some potion and then wanted some water. Now, we were warned to not do that. Just drink it and get what's beneath it." He shook his head and was then lost in thought.

His eyes narrowed and darkened before he continued. "I waited in the boat. Thought the git could do it on his own." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I didn't like it from the beginning. Something wasn't right. Wormtail, never bright, that one. Soon as he fell down at the water's edge to lap at it like a bloody dog... the water came alive."

"What do you mean?" She had heard a story very similar to this one before, and she was certain that she knew what he'd say next.

"Inferi. Loads of them. Grabbed Wormtail right away, ripping him to shreds and pulling him down into the water, and then they noticed me." He sat back, gazing towards the fire. "I panicked, tried to row away. They started rocking the boat, and then... I saw my old mate, Regulus."

"Regulus Black?"

"Aye. He... he was one of them and is what happened to me arm. Tried to rip it right off me. Almost did, but my knife, I stabbed him with it. He barely flinched and snatched it from me, bastard. And then I remembered fire kept the fuckers at bay." He sighed and then looked at her. "Always wondered what happened to him. Just disappeared one day."

Another emotion passed over his face, one Hermione couldn't decipher, and she had the urge to say something kind. "He must have been trapped there on a mission, too."

"Or just cast off... like Wormtail. That could've been me!" he said bitterly.

There was nothing she could say to that. She had no idea what Voldemort had been planning by sending them there, aside from the obvious, but she was very afraid that Rabastan had discovered that the Horcrux was gone.

"Were you able to get what you were sent for?"

He shook his head. "It went down with Wormtail, whatever it was. I didn't even see it."

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that." And oddly enough, she truly did feel sorry for him.

"You're a bit of all right," he replied with a nod.

A crack of Apparition alerted them to someone's presence. Hermione turned around and saw Severus enter. He stopped and took in the scene with an arched eyebrow.

"Just talking, mate," Rabastan said right away. "'S all."

He strode forward and grabbed Hermione by the arm, pulling her towards their room.

"Now don't hurt the girl!"

"I'll deal with you shortly," he told the other man over his shoulder.

"Stop! You're hurting me," she said, nearly tripping in his wake.

Once inside the room, he roughly pushed her to the bed. "What do you think you're doing?" he said in an angry whisper.

"Nothing at all! We were only talking, I swear it," she said, hurt that he was handling her so roughly, especially after the previous night. And then her humiliation and anger came back to her. "Why should you care anyway?" she yelled suddenly.

"You are not to leave this room and meet with anyone alone!"

"He wanted to say thanks for..."

Severus leaned over in front of her and said, spittle flying from his mouth, "I don't care what he wanted. You should know better! Do you not remember what happened the last time he was alone with you?"

"I just thought that..." She crossed her arms defiantly and looked away, too angry to form her words. He was right of course, but he didn't have to be so harsh about it.

"And, to make matters worse, you..." He looked down at his feet and stepped back before stooping to pick up the copy of the Daily Prophet that Rabastan had given her.

"Oh..."

"Where did you get this?" he asked suspiciously.

"He thought I might like to read it."

Snape pulled his wand out before she could blink and hissed, "Incendio!" The paper caught on fire.

"Why?" she asked in shock.

"You only need to know what I tell you. Nothing more."

"So I am just a hostage!" she yelled. Before she realized what she was doing, she'd jumped up and began swinging her fists at him. "Just when you start treating me as more of an equal, you go and act like an utter arse!"

He finally caught her fists and sidestepped a kick to his shin. "Calm down, girl!"

"You didn't think I was a girl last night!"

And then she was pushed down onto the bed with him on top of her, both of her hands still clasped within his. His lips found hers, nearly bruising her mouth with a kiss that seemed to go on for several minutes. Somehow, at some point, her legs had moved from beneath him and were suddenly snuggly wrapped around his thighs.

One of them moaned just before their kiss broke, and she ground against him, wanting to be closer. How had this happened? She'd vowed that she wouldn't let anything happen again, yet here she was in bed with him.

"Severus... don't."

He didn't move off of her, but he pressed his forehead against her cheek, his fast breaths sounding loudly in her ear. After many moments, he finally spoke quietly. "I trust no one, Hermione. How can I protect you if you won't listen to me? Anything could have happened."

"I won't do it again...won't leave the room if you are gone," she said. "But we have to talk. What's wrong with me reading the paper? What aren't you telling me?"

He sighed, released her hands, and rolled over to lie next to her. "Things have been happening, and I'd rather you learn of them from me...not some biased reporter's report."

She turned and propped up on her elbow. "Then tell me."

"Very well."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fire in the grate at Grimmauld Place burned emerald green, and Ron walked out, sputtering and dusting soot off his jumper. "Harry?" he called, looking around the empty room. "Still at Hogwarts, I expect."

He started to stride across the room, but stopped short when he noticed a Pensieve sitting on a shelf near some cabinets on the far wall. "What's this then?"

Had McGonagall showed Harry something important? Should he have a peek? Shaking his head, he backed away and went up to his room to find the copy of a Muggle magazine Hermione had left behind. He'd mentioned it to his father and was asked to retrieve it. Once he'd snatched it from under his bed, he quickly went back down and paused as he passed by the Pensieve again.

Harry was at Hogwarts. Nobody was about. Who would know? Curiosity won out, and he decided to have a quick look to see what McGonagall had showed him. Ron placed the magazine on the shelf and leaned down so that his face touched the silvery mist at the top of the Pensieve.

A feeling of falling passed through him, and he felt as though he were falling through space before landing on his arse on a stone floor in a dark room. When he turned around, his heart dropped, and he fumbled for his wand. Voldemort sat in a chair and gazed towards him with a smug smile on his reptilian face.

"What the...?" His wand slipped from his grasp and rolled across the floor. He dodged for it and quickly lifted it to send a hex towards Voldemort... only to see his spell go straight through him and to see the man addressing a chair across from him, obviously thinking Harry was sitting there.

To his shock, the man began taunting Harry about what had happened at the Hog's Head. "Well, at least our plan worked," Ron said with a proud smile. However, his smile faded as Voldemort continued.

"It appears, Harry, that you didn't appreciate the things I showed you last time. Oh, dear me," he said mockingly. "I assure you that your little friend is being well cared for. Why, Severussss positively dotes on her. She's even taken to caring for his friends and them growing fond of her in return." A high-pitched cackle sounded from the man's harsh, cold lips, making it an even more eerie sight to behold. "I do hope you don't have any tantrums after seeing this. It would be unbecoming for the Chosen One."

Ron didn't know what to think first. Obviously, this wasn't the first message Harry had received. Why hadn't Harry given him word on Hermione? He frowned. It could only mean one thing: that there were things here that Ron truly didn't want to see or know. Things he'd thought about, of course, especially after what the Malfoys had told them. He'd been trying desperately to remind himself that Hermione had to do whatever they'd said if she wanted to live, but he hadn't really tried to dwell on what those things might be.

Knowing he should back out of the memory, but not being able to do so, he watched with wide eyes as the next scene played out for him. He found himself in a large, drab room that was obviously home to many people, as certain places were sectioned off with several beds. Before him, a man was howling in pain as Snape and Hermione tended to him. Off to the side, Rodolphus Lestrange, who was being magically and physically held back by his wife, yelled loudly about needing to help his brother.

To Ron's horror, Hermione cried in pity as she helped the man, obviously trying her best to save him and soothe him. She wasn't a prisoner or chained to a bed as he'd imagined. She was walking about freely and actually helping a Lestrange!

Before he could really get close to listen in, the scene changed. Rabastan Lestrange was still lying down, but he was now clean and sleeping, his brother sitting beside him. He watched as Hermione spoke to the man and made her way back over to where Snape was. And then he nearly stumbled before he could reach them, for Snape and she were locked in a tight embrace.

Anger began bubbling inside of him. Why didn't she look miserable? This wasn't how it was supposed to be...not when someone was being held against her will. And then it dawned on him... It was quite convenient that she'd gone to meet him on her own. Had she arranged for it all to happen? Had she bartered with him, giving herself to him in return for his help with things?

He frowned in disappointment. Surely she wouldn't. "She loves me," he mumbled, hoping to reassure himself. "This is just... She's only doing this for show...to make Snape think she's on his side."

A scowl replaced his frown as the scenery changed again with him standing in a different room as Hermione had a bath. Her skin looked as soft and as lovely as he remembered, and he longed to go to her to touch and hold her. How he'd missed her and longed to have her with him again. The door opened and Snape walked in, asking if she minded his presence.

"As if she has a choice, you ruddy git!" he spat angrily. Did the man allow her no privacy? Who did he think he was showing up while she was bathing? Ron hated Snape more in that moment than he ever had, and he'd been seriously considering tossing something at him when he heard Snape's next words.

"Are you happy?"

Tell him to bugger off, Hermione!

"I don't like being a hostage."

That's it. Don't be afraid to tell the prat that you hate him and what he's making you do, he thought smugly, glad she was finally being honest.

Her reply to his next question, however, stunned him. "What do you mean 'not exactly'! Of course you should feel like a hostage!"

As the conversation unfolded, Ron's mood became darker. They were joking about the way Bellatrix had treated her and how the bitch was now buying Hermione something to wear. "Freed like a house-elf then, are you?" he asked bitterly, wishing she could hear him.

When Snape leaned over and took her face in his hands, Ron watched as his girlfriend, the woman he'd hoped to marry, tilted her head up and accepted the kiss eagerly, forgetting about being modest...the tops of her breasts, soapy and sleek, peeking out from under the bubbles. When one of Snape's hands slid down below the water, likely fondling a breast, Ron backed out of the memory, unable to watch any more.

He stared at the Pensieve for a long moment. How could Harry have kept this from him? Had he just received it? The Pensieve hadn't been out when the Order members were there. Had McGonagall brought this to show him? Why not include him? He was Harry's best friend and always helped him with things. Did they think he couldn't handle it?

His chest heaved with his furious breaths. They had been keeping it from him. This wasn't the first time Voldemort had contacted Harry. They'd used him and hadn't trusted him enough to play out his part in the staged Hogsmeade argument. Sure, they'd told him that they wanted Voldemort to think they were breaking down without Hermione and that things weren't going well, but it had to be because of this.

The opened cabinet revealed more phials of memories. He snatched one and tossed it into the Pensieve. How dare they keep him out of the loop like this?

Ron found himself on top of a tower at Hogwarts. The night was dark, a small moon lit the sky, and he could make out the figure of a woman leaning against the ramparts. As he got closer, he saw her long, flowing red hair. "What's Ginny doing here? When was this?"

However, as he moved next to her, he saw, surprisingly, that it was Harry's mum, not Ginny, who was standing there. Ron wondered where the memory came from, and his eyes widened as the sallow face of a young Severus Snape appeared out of the darkness.

So many things went through his mind that he didn't pay attention to their conversation too closely. Snape was sending memories of Lily Evans? Why? Was he trying to confuse Harry? Get on his good side?

"Lily," Snape said almost breathlessly as he quickly gathered her close.

Realization hit Ron. Snape was treating Harry's mum the way he'd treated Hermione in the other memories. Did he really feel something for Hermione? What was an act and what was real?

Disgusted, Ron was happy when the scenery faded and he found himself back at Grimmauld Place again. He'd seen enough. He wanted to yell, he wanted to hit something, and he wanted to drink something... anything to release the emotions he felt!

Things weren't like he'd imagined at all. They were much worse. Hermione wasn't being beaten or raped, and he was glad for that, but she was freely living with Snape as his... girlfriend, doing things with him that she shouldn't want to do. He wished she'd at least shown some unease with her situation, but he didn't see any at all.

Forgetting the magazine on the shelf, he stalked over to the fireplace, grabbed a fistful of Floo powder, and tossed it into the grate. "The Three Broomsticks," he said angrily. There was someone he had to talk to. Someone who'd believed in him all along. Someone who might have some good advice for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus sat across from Rabastan and stared at the man intently. When nothing was said, he finally asked, "Well?"

"'Well' what, Severus?"

"What are you playing at, Rabastan? Why did you give that paper to Hermione?" His voice was low, but the menace underlying his words matched the glint in his eyes.

"I wasn't trying to undermine anything. I just thought the girl should know that I appreciate what she did."

"She did what I told her to," Severus snapped.

Rabastan shook his head. "See, that's where you're wrong, Severus. No matter how I've treated her in the past, she didn't want me to die and really was concerned. I think she'd have done that without you telling her to."

Severus pursed his lips, thinking of what he should say next, as he wasn't exactly certain of Rabastan's motives. "Surely you knew that I've not told her about the things happening with Potter?"

"And why is that?"

Frowning slightly, he replied, "That's not your business. I am doing things as I see fit, and I'll not have you ruining things."

"And now? Still keeping her in the dark?"

"No," he said tersely.

"You know what I think?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"I think, Severus, that you're afraid."

Snape snorted. "Afraid? Are you daft?"

"Oh, yeah, you're brave and all that, but what would you do if you went to bed only to have her refuse you, to look upon you with loathing and fear...like when you first brought her here?" He nodded. "You don't want that to happen. You're getting comfortable with her."

"How dare you presume to know..."

"I've known you for most of my life, have seen you with someone you've cared for before." He sighed and leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees. "You barely glanced at Narcissa the whole time she stayed with you." He nodded towards the curtain. "Your eyes rarely leave her."

"She is my property, and I..." He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you taking such an interest in her, Rabastan? Planning on winning her over?" His hand inched towards his pocket where his wand lay.

"No, I wouldn't do her the dishonor. Not now." He sat back and looked at the ceiling. "I think she cares for you, too."

"What do you mean?"

"Seemed jealous when I mentioned one of your old lovers."

"What lover?" This time his hand did clutch his wand.

"I said no names." He smirked. "And she watches you, too. Same gaze you have for her... sends it right back at you."

Still uncertain what his friend's motives were, but feeling as though he was speaking truthfully, he said, "Regardless of how I may feel for the girl, captor or protector, I will not forget my duties. Neither should you."

Rabastan didn't reply to this, simply stood with a nod and made his way over to his bed in the corner. Severus ran his fingers through his hair, wanting to prolong going to bed. He knew Hermione was still reading, and he wanted to avoid her...especially after the way he'd lost control the night before. With a small smile, he remembered the ingredients he'd bought when he'd gone out earlier. He'd make the citrus scented oil for her as a surprise.

Southern's Notes: And I hope you've liked this latest installment. Well, we all figured Ron would eventually learn the truth, but I wonder what he'll do with it now that he knows. Snape seems to be truly falling for his charge... or is it an act? Hmmm...

My beta has been terribly busy lately, and she hasn't had time to look over this just yet. I've proofed it once and will go over it again tomorrow after my mind settles some. I figured I'd rather get the update out instead of letting it sit in her inbox for a week or so. Please forgive any errors (heh, had erros there at first... not a good sign! lol). I shall correct anything I miss when she returns it to me. Cheers.