Prisoner of Azkaban

*Warning this is explicit – graphic sexual situations.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o 9 o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prisoner of Azkaban

~H~

"Hermione." Ginny's soft voice woke Hermione up from a very vivid dream, one she really didn't want to awaken from. Although the dream wasn't as real or tactile, it was every bit as sensual as the dreams she had before when she'd been under the influence of the spell. She could have cried, being roused away from her dream Severus, who was so different from the wizard who'd taken her to Malfoy manor.

"Hermione," Ginny said again, gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up."

"Maybe we should let her sleep. She'll find out soon enough." Hermione recognized Luna's soft, airy voice. "She looks like she needed a good night's sleep."

"I'm up," Hermione said, stretching as she pulled herself up to sit and face her friends. She suddenly realized that both girls had very sad and serious expressions. "Why? What's happened?"

Ginny looked apprehensive, although Luna looked as if she was contemplating something on Ginny's bedroom wall. "It's Severus, he made the front page." Ginny handed the paper to Hermione as she sat down next to her. "It says that the Aurors caught him last night, right here in town. Somehow, they knew you were with him and that he would bring you back here... Hermione, I'm sorry."

Hermione lowered her gaze to the paper in her hands. An image of Severus Snape, wearing the robes he'd had one the night before when he'd brought her back to the Burrow, stared at her from the front page of the Daily Prophet, his expression hard but emotionless. Hermione gasped as she began to read the article under Severus's picture. "Notorious Death Eater and Tom 'Voldemort' Riddle's man at Hogwarts, Severus Snape, was captured last night and taken into custody by Aurors. His magical ensnarement of Hermione Granger that resulted in their magical Bonding is still baffling reporters. Hearing to be held over Dumbledore's death and other confirmed and unconfirmed Death Eater activities are... He's currently being held in Azkaban!" She dropped her hands into her lap, the paper crumpled in her fists as she looked at her friends, completely gobsmacked. "But I was with him last... Oh my gods! He'll think I turned him in!"

"Rita Skeeter credits you for bringing Severus to the prearranged site," Ginny said, looking remorseful and trying desperately to be supportive for her friend.

"But I didn't – I wouldn't!" Hermione gasped out, her eyes scanning the article to confirm what Ginny said. Sure enough, Rita Skeeter's article stated that she had indeed passed the information to 'long time friends' Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, Auror trainees, and to Rita herself, 'a long time friend and confidant.' The specifics that led to the capture of this 'violent and dangerous wizard' were exaggerated but completely spelled out in every detail. "But I didn't speak to Rita at all!" she exclaimed as she rose from the bed, stormed from the room, and barreled down the stairs to the kitchen.

Ron, Neville and Harry were still eating breakfast at the table. They all looked up as Hermione angrily stormed in. "You! How could you!" she screamed, brandishing the paper at them. "He did not ensnare me! I was not abducted, and he is not a violent and ruthless killer! I never told you anything of the sort, least of all this rubbish!"

Neville dropped his sausage off his fork and nearly stabbed himself in the lip as he stared at her, stunned.

Harry dropped his fork at her outburst. "Hermione, calm down, he's..."

"ARRESTED! YOU TURNED HIM IN!" she yelled at him, tears filling her eyes.

"You don't love him. He did abduct you. And yes, you did tell us that he comes to get you," Ron shouted back.

"YOU – you did this?" she screeched as Ginny tried to calm her down.

Ron stood up, knocking the chair over as he did. "Yes, I did!"

"You bloody cockatrice! After everything he did for us, for everyone, and THIS is how you repay him?" she snarled as she brandished the paper at him again.

"'Mione, he has to answer for his crimes," Ron shouted back. Neville quickly scooted his chair away from Ron.

"Ron, Hermione, we can sit down and talk about this rationally," Ginny said, unheard.

"He has!" Hermione yelled. "He's suffered enough for everything he had to do."

Ginny tried to gain their attention again. "Will the two of you please sit down and..."

"Hermione, he has to have his name cleared." Harry stood, trying to place himself between Hermione and Ron. "After that, they'll have to let him go."

"I'm sure there has been a mistake," Neville tried interjecting.

"So you're going to DEFEND HIM?" Ron snarled at Harry. "We are talking about Snape here! He killed Dumbledore. You've seen his record – everything he's accused of!" He pointed at Hermione, still glaring at Harry. "She was my girl, and he stole her! Snape..."

"HE DID NOT STEAL ME!" Hermione shouted. "I ensnared him! It's my fault, Ron, not his!"

"Ron, you know about the Moon-Song Spell as well as I do," Ginny added as Luna came down the stairs. "The spell matched her to him. It's done, and you can't change it."

Ron's hands clenched in fists, and he glared at her. "Yes, you can – if she wanted to!" he said furiously.

"Hermione, you can petition the Accidental Magical Reversal Department for an annulment," Neville suggested, but was cut off by Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Harry all talking at once, each louder than the other so that no one was understood. "QUIET, PLEASE!" he shouted.

"I see," Ron sneered, then turned and stormed from the house, slamming the door.

"I think the thing to do is to hear what Hermione wants to do, not try and decide for her," Luna said as she entered the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at Luna as she casually walked over to Hermione's side. "So, what do you want to do?"

Hermione wanted to hug Luna, whose rational calm seemed to suddenly affect everyone, especially her. "I want to clear his name, firstly. Harry, you know what he did, you have those memories from Severus, all those talks with Dumbledore," she implored him.

"Hermione, I've already been trying to clear his name," Harry stated. Hermione's mouth dropped open, but Harry held up his hand, to have her hear him out. "I thought he was dead. So did Kingsley until that morning when you said he came here. Well, before that actually. Kingsley realized he was probably alive since his name appeared on the ledger. He has been trying to locate Snape before the Aurors do, to prove if he is alive or not, or possibly if he was lying somewhere in a comatose state of some kind. However, since Kingsley wasn't sure if Snape was actually... Hermione, I'd told him that I saw Snape die. Kingsley thought one of the Death Eaters took him and maybe had him in some kind of Dark Arts stasis or a coma. We thought we had time. Then Lerman and Darthmyer tracked him here that morning... but Snape was clever, elusive. We tried to contact him but had no idea where to look. Kingsley even went to his house, and we checked at Malfoy manor, but – nothing. We couldn't find him."

Hermione gasped. "The memories he showed me?"

Harry and Ginny looked confused. "What memories?" they asked nearly in unison.

"Wait, what ledger?" Hermione asked Harry.

"The Marriage and Magical Unions ledger. Maggie Whitmire in the Magical Marriage and Birth Registration Office of the Magical Licenses and Certificates Department sent an interdepartmental memo to the Aurors' office and to Kingsley, and who knows who else, as soon as Snape's name appeared on the ledger, saying you were engaged. When you were Bonded, she apparently sent them again. The same as she did to Ginny and me."

"And to Dad's office as well," Luna piqued in. "We ran a simple announcement in the Happy Tidings section, unlike the Daily Prophet that put you on the front page. That was tacky."

"I read that, it was a nice announcement," Neville said. Luna beamed at him. Hermione wondered briefly if Luna's dad had run the same announcement for her and Severus.

Harry shook his head with a slight grimace and then looked at Hermione, getting serious again. "What memories are you talking about? When did Kingsley show you memories?"

"The morning that Mr. Lerman, Mr. Darthmyer and Kingsley came here, Kingsley used Legilimency on me. Only, he wasn't searching my memories to see where Severus was or anything about our night together; he pulled forward and showed me visions of Order meetings and Severus standing next to Dumbledore," Hermione explained. "I took it as a message, being reminded that Severus is an Order member."

Harry nodded. "He probably was. Hermione, ever since you and Snape became Bonded, well, we've been working together. He told me he knew that Snape was alive and asked me to put Snape's memories in a Pensieve for him to review. I've given him a full accounting of all the times Snape tried to help me at school as well. Hermione, a few days before that morning he called me into his office..." Hermione had rushed over and hugged him. "Humfph, well, yes, we have," he continued. "But, Hermione, Snape won't defend himself! He won't say anything!"

"Then we will have to speak for him," Luna said.

Neville looked up at her confused. "Us?"

"Yeah, she's right. All of us have firsthand knowledge of what he did for us," Ginny stated. "Like when he tried to save you from Sirius and Lupin, and when he tried to keep Hermione and Luna from the fight when Draco let the Death Eaters in the castle. He even tried to keep us from being hurt by the Carrows loads of times."

"Ginny, I don't think he was really trying to save us," Neville stated, still confused. "He was awful toward us."

"Not Snape! Well, he's Snape. I mean the other Death Eaters in the school, especially the Carrows. Snape changed our detentions from being served under Filch or the Carrows and possibly being tortured, to having detentions with Hagrid, telling him to give us ground keeping duties as punishments. I remember hearing Filch complaining about it in the corridor, and Hagrid told me about it after the final battle when he'd heard that Snape had been killed. He said Snape wanted him to help protect us from being maimed. That's why Hagrid had so many detention assignments. He was monitoring detentions nearly every night."

Luna had walked over and placed a hand on Neville's shoulder. "All the members of the DA were sent to Hagrid for detentions. And who do you think told Aberforth when we needed food?"

"That house-elf..." Neville tried to recall. "The one that called us Headmaster's Army..."

"Dobby," Ginny stated. "Severus told him to send food to the Hogshead so Aberforth could get it to us. When the Carrows found out Dobby was providing us food, Snape sent Dobby to the Hogs Head to clean glasses and wash the linens."

"Sounds like we – well, everybody, misjudged him. I know he did a lot for the Order," Harry stated. "I've seen Kinglsey's reports, they're rather extensive at this point, but a lot of it is speculation. If we could get Snape to confirm half of what we have, he'd have a chance at a full pardon."

"So, if we all tell what we know, provide our memories in a Pensieve, would that help, Harry?" Hermione asked hopefully. "I mean if we provide our memories for the Pensieve, it's not speculation, right?"

Harry shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt. Yeah, I can take you all to the Ministry with me, and you can all talk to Holden Goldstein in Magical Law Enforcement. He's working with Kingsley on clearing Snape's name."

"Harry, why doesn't Ron know what you're doing?" Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged. "He knows a little, but ever since Hermione and he broke up... Gin, we're Auror trainees, and we've just started in the training program. Trainees aren't involved in serious criminal investigations. I am simply because I had pertinent information, loads of it actually, but I wasn't involved at first."

~S~

Severus had been shuffled from his cell in Azkaban, dragged to the showers to clean up, and then dumped unceremoniously into this odd cell with no explanations, except for a lot of smirks and sneering from the prison Aurors. The shower had been truly delightful. Ice cold and under supervision. The cell he'd been dumped into was a plain room with a sturdy plank-board table and a narrow bench cot. At least the one sheet and wool blanket looked clean. He'd even been given a fresh robe and drawstring trousers. Oh, yes, the celebrity treatment.

He paced the room for what seemed like hours, then threw himself on the cot, amazed that the thing was so sturdy. A far cry from the cot in my usual cell. Since this room didn't have any chairs, he doubted that Holden Goldstein from Magical Law Enforcement was planning on giving him a visit, but the lack of seating didn't rule out the Aurors, Lerman and Darthmyer, from showing up again. His last visit from the Aurors left very little doubt in his mind that Azkaban was going to be his permanent home. And Mr. Goldstein had asked him the most ridiculous questions, alluding to the fact that he was a murderer, while trying to dig out conformation regarding his Death Eater activities, so that Severus was certain that the Ministry simply wanted him locked away for life.

He sat on the cot, arms crossed, shoulders against the smooth stone with his feet stretched out, and his ankles crossed while he waited to see what they had in store for him today. He sincerely hoped it wasn't that insipid reporter, Rita Skeeter, wanting to interview him again. Circe, I want to curse that woman.

The door finally opened, but Severus refused to rise, not wanting to give the visitor any indication that he wanted or desired a visitation. He was stunned when Hermione stepped into his cell, wearing a simple, black button-front robe and soft leather boots. She's even tamed that hair of hers in a braid, he thought, amused, as she walked in, uncertainty and apprehension in her brown eyes as if she fully expected him to Crucio her on the spot. If I had my wand, believe me, my dear, I would. "What are you doing here?" he snarled at her.

She swallowed and stood her ground, although she looked as if she was ready to run for the door and beg to be let out. Welcome to jail, sweetheart.

"You look good," she said as if not sure what to say to him.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure I do," he sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You didn't answer my question, witch. Why are you here?"

"I came to see you, to talk to you," she stated nervously, biting her lip.

She has every reason to be nervous, doesn't she? "Well, take a good look, Hermione," he said, opening up his arms and glaring at her.

"You've bathed," she stated, looking at him with concern in her eyes. "Do they feed you all right?"

Circe, you've got to be kidding! "Yes, they let us shower. It was wonderful," he sneered. "Ice cold water that pours out from a pipe, a bar of lye soap and a flannel. It's jail, Hermione, not some hunt club. And no, the food here is unappetizing."

"I'm sorry," she replied, actually looking remorseful.

"I'm sure you are," he sneered at her. You turned me in – arranged the trap, and you're sorry. Brilliant!

"Are you treated all right? I mean, they aren't abusive or anything, are they?" she asked, looking at him imploringly.

"I am treated exactly how I knew I would be," he said coolly. "How did you manage to gain a visit? I thought that your friends in the Ministry would have arranged your annulment by now."

"I haven't petitioned for one," she replied demurely.

"No? Why ever not?" he asked, sitting up.

She squirmed slightly, but held his gaze. "I, um, not until you are out, and we can discuss this."

"You mean to tell me you want to remain my Bonded mate? Is that what you are telling me?" He couldn't believe her. "Go back to the Burrow and forget me. This shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"No, I'm not going to just forget you. Severus, why won't you talk to Goldstein and clear your name? Why won't you confirm the information Kingsley and Goldstein have on you regarding your actions for the Order?" she asked, sounding sincerely concerned, although he didn't believe her.

"Is that why you're here, to convince me to go before the Wizengamot and beg for my life?" he scoffed at her presumptuousness. "I'm a murderer, or didn't you know? I'm surprised they even allowed you in here with me."

She stood still, her warm brown eyes focused directly on his face. "I had to request a conjugal visit, as your wife, well, Bond mate, in order to see you. Kingsley approved..."

"Oh, I bet he did," he said, rising off the cot, walking over to her to glare down his nose at her. Have to give her credit; she hasn't even flinched. "I suppose that you feel I'm impotent without my wand, Hermione."

Hermione stood perfectly still as he paced around her. "No, I know better," she said softly. "But I still trust you..."

"Do you?" he asked, stopping to stand right behind her. "So, wife, are you here to beg me to accept a farce of a trial or did you come for other reasons?" He wrapped his arms around her pulling her roughly against his chest.

"I came to talk to you," she replied evenly.

"Oh, I just bet you have," he sneered. "Why should I believe you? They knew exactly where to find me and knew details only you would know." He tightened his hands on her arms and felt her breathing deepen and become uneven. "You know I could snap your neck for turning me in." His hand went to her neck as he said it, and he could feel her pulse race under his fingers.

"I never turned you in! Please, Severus." Her voice was softer and thicker than normal. "Believe me, it wasn't me."

"How am I to believe you?" He tightened his embrace, holding her firmly against his body.

"Because I believed in you – I always have." Hermione relaxed in his arms. "There is more to you than you let on. Just like what you did... everything. There is more to it than what everyone believes."

Circe, if she doesn't feel good. Damn, this witch... "What do you want, Hermione?" he said lazily in her ear, feeling her stiffen in response to his voice. "Why did you really come here to see me?" He moved his hand down to cup her breast, his mouth inches from the soft skin below her ear. "Tell me what you want?" he asked silkily against her flesh as his other hand slid lower to rest on her groin, holding her tightly against his erection. "Or should I hazard a guess?"

She swallowed, her chest rising and dropping with each heavy breath as she leaned against him. "I told you; I want you to defend yourself, um, clear your name..." Her voice wavered and trailed away as his fingers pressed down between her legs. "But you have to talk to them..."

He could feel her tremble slightly and felt amazed that he could elicit such a response from her. "Should I take advantage of your offer of a conjugal visit, Hermione?" he said, nipping softly on her neck. "Do you want me to make love to you? Do you – like in your dream?"

"Yes," she sighed heavily and made to move as if she wanted to turn around. He didn't let her, holding her firmly.

"No, don't turn around," he said as he kissed her neck. He slowly began opening her buttons, slipping his fingers underneath the fabric occasionally to tease her skin while he kissed her. She practically melted against him. When he opened her robes, he explored her body leisurely, and she moaned with pleasure from his touch.

He turned her around, pleased to see the skimpy, black lace bra and knickers she'd obviously worn for his pleasure and backed her up against the table, keeping his back to the portal, knowing that the guards could be watching. If she is going to allow this, I'm sure as Hades going to enjoy it. He opened his prison robes and allowed Hermione to stare at him. Her warm brown eyes, gazed up at him in wonder and trust so evident it was unnerving. He didn't deserve such open, unconditional trust. She leaned against the edge of the table as he caressed her body, fingering the lacy bra and pulling the lacy knickers off her hips. She reached up and opened the front clasp of her bra, and he smiled slightly, lifting her up to sit on the table.

"Sit back," he said silkily, pulling her knickers off her legs. He touched her, his hands roaming her flesh slowly, finally resting on her hips. His fingers found her clitoris, and he circled it lazily with his thumb as his other hand slid up to cup her breast. He wanted to taste her, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her and the look of exotic pleasure he was giving her reflected on her face. She moaned in response to him and her eyes closed briefly. When her moans became louder, and she started undulating under his hands, he knew she was ready for him. He pulled her to him, parted her legs wider as he positioned himself at her opening and pushed into her slowly. He kissed her as he moved his hips forward and back in a slow rhythmic motion.

"Oh, gods, yes," she practically purred.

Her hands explored his body as he stroked and caressed hers. He forced himself to keep the pace of their coupling leisurely, savoring every aspect of her body, certain that this would be the last time he'd be able to use her like this. He actually liked the light delicate touch of her fingers and the soft glide of her hands on his skin. The way she tried to match his kiss, mimicking the way he nipped, sucked and caressed her lips, and the way she stroked her tongue against his. When she tried to insert her tongue in his mouth to reciprocate, he thought it was amusingly sweet. He was amazed at how sensual and giving a partner she was, how uninhibited she was willing to be, and it impressed him. "Lie down," he said softly and smiled as she eased her back down on the table surface and looked up at him in anticipation.

He drew her bum down to the very edge of the table as he leaned forward. He gripped the edge of the table, her legs held against his body, as he thrust in her. She tried to touch him, her fingertips glided on his stomach, down his body to where they joined, and her fingers slipped between them. "That's it, touch yourself," he instructed her, encouraging her. "Feel me slide in you."

"You like this?" she asked.

The gentle strokes of her fingertips added a tingling sensation on his shaft to his movements, heightening his enjoyment. "Merlin, girl, yes, I like this."

She began to groan, her hands grasping onto him as his climax built up, his nads tightening, and he quickened his pace, rubbing her clitoris to push her over the edge with him. He thrust into to her hard as his release broke, his seed squirting into her in hot jets, filling her. He continued to move in her, his nads and penis becoming really sensitive as he watched her climax overcome her. She clenched her fists, cried out his name between gasps for air, and her euphoric facial expressions were delightful to watch in his post-climatic bliss. He smiled down at her with a sense of completion, a smug mental acknowledgement of his accomplishment. He waited until she relaxed before pulling out of her. "Thank you," he said softly when she sat up and looked up at him.

"I suppose I should say thank you as well," she said, blushing, fastening her bra.

He smiled smugly. "At this point you can say anything you like." He wished she wasn't adjusting her robes, that she'd just sit there nude and let him look at her, but he knew that the guards would most likely end their visit soon anyway.

"Just promise me one thing, please," she begged him as she finished the last of her buttons. "Talk to Kingsley Shacklebolt or Holden Goldstein. Help them to clear your name. You don't belong here!"

That was not what he expected her to say and it angered him. "I do belong here, or haven't you been reading the paper," he snapped at her.

"Yes, I read the paper! But since when does the Daily Prophet report the truth or get all the facts right?" she asked, raising her voice slightly. "When have you ever known Rita Skeeter to quote anyone without twisting what they say or didn't say into lies, and when have you ever know me to be her confidant?" He narrowed his eyes at her, but he suppressed his anger. "I always thought you to possess a brilliant intellect. Was I wrong?"

"Now, you wait here!" he shouted at her.

"No, the man I knew wasn't a coward or a shirker," she shouted back.

"Do not call me a coward!" he snarled, his anger making his powers shimmer.

"Then prove it!" she snapped back at him, holding her ground against his fury. "A coward would lie in here, berating himself, comfortably wallowing in self-pity and self-contempt. I thought you were a fighter, stoic and brave." He glared at her, furious, but she pressed on. "Yes, the man I want would stand up for himself, the world be damned, and hold his head up high. He'd face everyone and take his due and move forward – showing everyone they were wrong about him."

"Are you through?" he asked icily.

"NO!" she said, stomping her foot. "If you won't be the man I know you are, then I'll have to talk for you – so will Harry and Dumbledore's portrait. But I will see you released from here. However, if you won't stand up for yourself and continue to act like a sniveling coward – then yes! I'll request that annulment – and get it!" With that she walked out of the barrier without looking back.

"I am not a coward!" he shouted after her. He paced in fury. Coward, sniveling... shirker! How dare she! I am not wallowing in self-pity – I am in bloody jail! His eyes fell on a slip of black lace on the floor. He picked it up. Hermione's lacy knickers unfolded in his fingers, and he held it to his nose to smell her scent on them.

He leaned against the wall, still fuming. How dare she? She's going to speak for me – and Potter? What good will that do? Potter would want me in here. He paced again, recalling her words as his anger grew. The man she wants, as if she really wants me. He paced again, feeling like a caged gryphon. But she hadn't asked for the annulment; we're still bloody Bonded. Why in bloody Merlin didn't she? He leaned against the table, wondering what she would do, but deep down he was actually impressed by her tenacity.

~ T B C ~>

Author's Notes: