Part I, chapter 2
Chapter 2 of 28
averygoodunThe need to survive is ingrained within the human psyche, but where does self-preservation end and self-destruction begin? Hermione is captured by Death Eaters and is held hostage by Snape and Pettigrew, but she comes up with a plan to escape. Not a romance.
ReviewedAN: Huge thank you to Southern for betaing this. And, before I forget, thanks also go out to Mundungus42 for her encouragement. Without it, I never would have exorcised this piece from my system.
Damn that bastard! Damn that short, rat-faced, backstabbing little bastard! The girl in my care? The word 'care' being used very loosely, of course. He might as well have hexed a bloody Can't-Miss Charm onto my back and put me directly in Potter's path!
Fuck it all to hell!
What am I going to do with her?
///////////|\\\\\\\\\\\
She woke up to the sound of voices muttering just beyond her hearing range. This awakening, however, was bereft of any denial. She could feel everywhere she'd been attacked, both by flesh and magic, and the overall effect was nauseating. She tried to hold back a whimper, but found it hurt to exert even that much effort.
Her whimper, quiet as it was, silenced the voices in the other room. She heard a slight shuffling, and then a door squeaked open.
“Finally decided to join us, did you, Granger?”
Hermione could have cried.
She cracked her eyes open to see a blurry Snape looming over her threateningly. He crossed his arms as if expecting an answer. She started to shake her head in acknowledgment, but that caused her back to spasm, twisting a broken shriek from her.
Trying hard to stop her body from shaking, she worked to relax herself, although it was only minimally successful. It felt like ages before she could open her eyes again, but when she did, everything was the same. The room was still unfocused, and Snape was still standing there, staring down at her coldly.
“My parents, sir?” she croaked out, almost choking from the raw feeling in her throat.
Snape stilled for a moment, but there was nothing else.
“Wormtail!” he called out after another moment.
“Yes, Severus?”
“Fetch the potion.”
Hermione closed her eyes again, trying to hold back the tears. She didn't want to cry if she could help it. She didn't want him to see her cry again. Not now. She needed to be strong.
As she fought for control, she heard some more shuffling, and then a hand was behind her head, forcing it upwards. Instinctively, she fought back, twisting to the side away from the arm, not stopping as pain seared through her body in reaction.
The hand grabbed her hair and held tight, and then she felt another hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down. She strained against the hands, not caring if she was injuring herself, just wanting to get away, to not suffer through that again.
“Calm down, Granger!” Snape barked, applying more pressure to her torso as he did.
“Please. Please don't!” Hermione pleaded, trying to force her body to do something useful.
“I'm not going to hurt you, idiot girl!” Snape said, impatience making his tone sharp.
Exhausted, she gave up and relaxed her spasming body as much as she was able to. Opening her eyes again, she found Snape was still looming over her, only closer now, thanks to his hands holding her down. She swiveled her eyes around a bit more to find Wormtail standing behind Snape, watching the proceedings nervously.
“What do you want from me?” Hermione whispered hoarsely, looking back to Snape.
Snape relaxed a fraction and lightened his touch, although he didn't remove his hands altogether.
“I want you to take this healing potion.”
“Why? Why bother healing me?” she spat, bitterness welling up.
Snape raised his eyebrow, and his mouth twitched. “So that you won't be lazing about needing a nursemaid. Things need to be done around here, and I am not going to pick up after you.”
She looked into his cold black eyes for as long as she could stand before averting her gaze and nodding her head just slightly.
He smirked and released her hair, moving his hand to the base of her skull again.
“Let me support your head. If you stay relaxed, your back shouldn't spasm again,” he murmured softly before she tried to sit up. Nodding her understanding, she let him do all the work – and felt more helpless than she had the night before. His less than scathing tone was the only thing that kept her from bursting into furious tears, but it did nothing to lessen her shame.
The brew tasted awful, but she managed to take the entire dose with Snape's help. As soon as she swallowed the last mouthful, she realized something was wrong. Her head was spinning, and she couldn't focus on anything, not even a thought.
She looked up at Snape to see satisfaction written all over his face.
“Bastard!” she whispered, and then the void consumed her.
///////////|\\\\\\\\\\\
Perhaps I shouldn't have slipped her the sleeping potion, as I doubt very much she would want to be conscious for this, especially as I heal her more intimate wounds. And it is impossible to die of mortification, much as we would all like to at one point or another.
But, this way, when she wakes up completely healed, she can believe it was the potion that did all the work. She may suspect I had a more... involved hand in it, but she'll always have that lingering doubt.
Can't make things easy for her after all.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Traitor
307 Reviews | 7.44/10 Average
this is such a brave and daring story! i had read it before but i couldn't remember where it was posted so i searched through various sites and finally got lucky. this time i will add it to favourites without delay. thanks again for that jewell!
This was GRIPPING.
Wow! I am utterly and deeply moved. It took me quite a while to figure out what you were aiming at and that was a pleasant surprise in itself. There are not many stories out, where the end is not obvious from the beginning.I also liked to have Wormtail described as a human being and actually getting more than a few crucios out of his actions.Thank you for the wonderful story!
Holy mother of gods. That was just the best story I have read in a long time. I have stayed up till 2am reading this because I could NOT put it down... Your torture of her. The food. The sadistic/masochist tones... my god. Just brilliant. BRILLIANT.I have never read a story with wormtail in this character. I was almost sympathitic toward him.And when Snape finally had her! Why was that sOOOO hot to me? Shell
Wow. Brilliant I would rate this much more than 5...
Like a punch in the guts. Wow. I am breathless, horrified, amazed, marveled, disgusted, touched, numb, exhilarated. Thank you for believing in yourself and sharing your story with us!
How hard for Hermione, to feel that she is using Wormtail. You really depicted that so well. Sigh.
*melted to a puddle on the floor"*GASP!*Oh, Severus, you naughty boy!
Catching up with the story after a loooooong time (RL sucks!). Nice "intermission' chapter!
I don't know if I like thinking of Hermione being genuinely upset about Wormtail or Snape's letter acting like he tried to save Wormtail for her.... I jsut don't know what to think of it all... but regardless, the writing was good :)
It really is quite squicky to think of Peter and Hermione. I keep reminding myself that it is to ensure her escape but she seems to actually have concern for Peter at this point. Not caring but concern. And the fact that Snape doesn't seem to care is icky as well. Peter is so gross I'm surprised Snape didn't rip her off of him jsut out of disgust LOL
ugh... wormtail is soooo creepy. And knowing that HErmione is doing him often is just sickening. I hope she either gains what she's after or comes to her senses and ... I don't even know... jsut stops sleeping with Wormtail LOL
I was recced this... I like dark fics.. but that's a brutal way to start out. Well written and I can't say I'm looking forward to what's to come but I'm... interested??
I ended up reading this whole story in one piece, I just couldn't stop reading! :P I just love the way you writes Snape, he is completely believable in this story and so is the other characters. I think you should be very proud of this story, it was a joy reading it (except from the icky wormtail/hermione parts)!
Wow. I thought I wouldn't be able to go past the squicky parts, but... you got me reading for one hour non-stop. Excellent writing.
:x
I'm wondering if she's pregnant . . .
Wonderful story. I read it in about two hours. Just gobbled it up, really. I especially loved your portrayal of Pettigrew, and the way you ended the whole piece.
Long story short: this is amazing. Short story long: anything by Dickens.
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
Thank you!
This was a wonderful story - but I might be just dim here when I ask you this question, but my Snape-fangirl-love wants to know who sent the letter? Did Snape truly defect from the Order, or was he happy that she escaped, wanting her to get away all along? Sorry if my Snape-love kept me blinded from any obvious hints you might have left in the story...
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
Thank you. Snape sent the letter. For answers to the rest, I suggest you read "Closure." It's a little less vague. ;-)
It was the only way what? He wanted her to use Wormtail to escape?
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
That is the question. What was the only way? How? Why? And, most of all, who?
Response from KarenDetroit (Reviewer)
ARRRGGG!Don't you repect the Geneva Convetions on Torture????
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
*giggle* Is there such a thing in fiction?
That said, there will be a companion piece called, very appropriately, "Closure" coming up pretty soon. A lot of questions will be answered in there (though it's still vague-ish on that one).
Yowza. The sex with Peter/Wormtail was just so icky. And you got the ick factor just right - along with the reality that it wasn't, of all the things Hermione had to endure, really so awful in the grand scheme of things. And then when Snape watched -well, that was wrong and right and actually quite hot. And through it all you never lost the complexity of the emotions involved, the grey-ness of all the protagonists. Thanks so much for a thought-provoking and entertaining read.
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
Thank you!!! I... Thank you.
Very well written story the whole way through. I really enjoyed it and was thankfull for the quick updates. The way you ended it was very exciting. Well done job all the way around.
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
Thank you!
Hi Avery. Now that I have completed Shades (at least on SH and FF), I finally got the courage to read this story from start to finish. Actually, I started reading when you first began posting chapters, but I only got to chapter 5 before I stopped. To be honest, I found it extremely difficult reading. The words painful and profoundly distrubing come to mind. But I suppose that was the effect you were looking for. Don't get me wrong--your writing itself is excellent. Very descriptive, good characterization and not too wordy (unlike me...). I also applaud your emphasis on a strong theme as I think too many fanfiction writers just want to write something fluffy that will be 'popular'. It takes courage to do something like this. What I found most amazing is that my story could inspire such a piece. It is ironic that your Hermione essentilly makes the polar opposite choice from mine. She compromises nearly all her morals and principles in order to survive, making her a traitor not to Harry or the Light, but to herself. It was a weighty piece of work. Good job.Cheers and best wishes,
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
Response from averygoodun (Author of Traitor)
Hey. Well, thank you for reading it! You're right, I was attempting to write something very painful and disturbing. I've read Stockholm Syndrome stories that really, really romanticize the situation and don't take into account that it is a disorder; the victim is ILL, and it is not a healthy, romantic situation.
What I wanted to explore as much as that, though, is that survival really can outweigh morals when it comes right down to it, and Hermione has not proven herself to be as strong as Harry is under pressure. Hermione will have a hard time of it because she knows she did betray herself, even if the trip to the betrayal was almost invisible.
Thank you both for the inspiration (amazing story, btw!), and for your thoughts!