Chapter 8

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Thanks to my betas, ladyinthecloak and charmed_nay.

Hermione woke feeling disoriented, a pounding in her head making her eyes ache and flinch against the light. And then things hit her again. I'm married... to Severus Snape. Bringing her fingers up to massage her temples, she lay back against the pillow and thought over the brief dream she'd had. It had been about Lucius...sort of. It was mostly foggy, but she could remember seeing him staring at her with a haughty expression on his face, even sneering somewhat.

But why would she be dreaming about that? They'd overcome their disagreements, and he'd made a change with great effort to not be prejudiced against those not of pureblood lineage. However, Severus hadn't seemed pleased with her usage of the tome. He'd definitely seen it before.

With that thought, she slowly sat up and opened her eyes. She had to get out of here and find out what had gone on. How long had she been sleeping anyway? Before her feet could touch the floor, she stilled, realizing she was not alone.

"S-Severus? How long have you been here?" He'd been seated on a chair near the fountain, watching her without saying a word. At some point, he'd taken off his dressing gown and had dressed in trousers and a light blue shirt. "All right?" she asked when he said nothing, noting that he looked paler than he had in death. Quickly, she went to him. Something had obviously taken a toll on him. "What is it?"

All desire to lash out at him for locking her in and for not explaining himself swept away in that instant. He was weak and troubled.

"I didn't want to wake you," he finally said. "You seemed to be at peace."

"You don't look well."

He snorted. "I've no doubt."

"Please, come to bed. I'll get you something to drink and eat."

"I do not thirst, nor do I have hunger."

Confused, Hermione said, "You're worrying me."

"Lucius..." He shook his head, leaned back in the chair, and closed his eyes.

"What about him?" she asked, the uneasy feeling returning.

"I should not have questioned your virginity," he said suddenly, sitting up and standing on his own. "You were right to be offended."

Well, this is a change of subject, isn't it? I won't let this go. "Exactly. I seriously doubt you hadn't ever... you know." She placed an arm around his waist and helped to guide him to the bed, noticing that his body was trembling slightly. "You need to be off your feet. You aren't well enough yet." Once he was seated, she asked, "Now, tell me, Severus, what's happened? What did Lucius say? Why did you act that way towards the tome?"

His deep chuckle sounded, filling the quiet room. "That tome is not to be trusted. Put it away and do not read in it again."

"I can't! My father's life depends on it!"

"No harm will come to your father." He lay back and closed his eyes. "It's rubbish. You should have kn..." His deep, steady breathing replaced his words.

"Severus?" she whispered.

Should have known what? she wondered. Her eyes left his face and found the tome. She wished she could have explained everything about the tome and how it had proven itself to be sentient and had manipulated things in her life so much that her father had been landed in the hospital. How could she not believe in it?

"I suppose since I've done what it wanted and brought you back, I'm free. That's likely what you meant." She sighed and placed a hand on his warm cheek. "At least you're not cold." Hermione shuddered as she remembered his stiff, cold flesh as it had been.

The room suddenly became blurry, and she felt quite dizzy with the realization of what she'd done. She, Hermione Granger, had defeated death, had taken a man who'd been utterly ensconced in its clutches. Never before had she felt so heady, so powerful, and so... dark. Was this what Voldemort had thrived on...this feeling of superiority? Of knowing things others did not?

Shaking her head, she quickly placed the duvet over Severus and made her way to the door. It was no longer locked, thankfully, but the corridor outside was quite dim, an icy draft of wind flowing through. "Bozzy?" she called.

"Yes, miss?" he asked, immediately popping into view.

"Why did you not come earlier?" she demanded.

"Bozzy did not hear miss call him."

"Is Lucius in?"

"Master has gone to retrieve his wife."

"Oh... er... lunch for two please when you get time."

With a small bob of his head, the elf popped away, leaving her alone in the eerie corridor. Before it had been lit by several sconces and had been warm like the rest of the house. She supposed that had been Lucius' doing, and as he was out, maybe the charms didn't renew on their own. Dungeons never did appeal to her...even at Hogwarts. Backing into the room again, she closed the door and turned around, only to stifle a scream. Bozzy was right behind her with a tray in his tiny hands.

"Thank you, Bozzy," she said, taking the tray. Before he could leave again, she added, "Please let me know when Lucius returns. I'd like to have a word with him."

"Bozzy will tell master."

"I... all right."

After he left, she placed the tray on the table, not feeling very hungry. She definitely wasn't tired enough to sleep. She pondered visiting her father, knowing she should go to him, but she also knew that Severus needed her. If he woke to find her gone, it might upset him, especially if he was still weak.

With a sigh, she went to the bed to lie next to him, deciding to think over the conversation she wanted to have with him when he woke. However, she slipped off into a sound sleep instead, days of exhaustion and stress making her more tired than she'd realized.

When she woke later, she felt a hand caressing her breast softly. She kept her eyes closed and tried to keep her breathing even, though she was uncertain why. You want to see how far he'll go, said a naughty inner voice. Deep down she knew that wasn't the reason, but it was part of it...possibly. Another part of her didn't want to face him while he touched her so gently, else she might be lost in his embrace instead of forcing him to answer her questions. Quite plainly, he was intoxicating.

The fingers of his hand lightly circled her nipple, which hardened in response. To her shock his warm, wet mouth replaced his fingers and began to suck her nipple through her clothes. It was very arousing, causing her stomach to tingle and sending little jolts of pleasure from her breast straight through her body.

Hermione opened her eyes and watched him, knowing his attention was elsewhere. His head moved slightly, hair spilling about, as he laved his tongue against her. When his hand slid down to cup the heated juncture of her thighs, she arched against it helplessly. How did he provoke such feelings of lust in her? Better yet, why hadn't she ever felt this responsive towards Ron, whom she'd loved?

A nipping of teeth against her nipple caused her to voice her approval and arch completely against him. He ended his assault on her breast with a chaste kissing, lifting his head to gaze at her.

"I feel much better now," he whispered, crawling over her and pressing himself against her body. As his lips lowered towards hers, he said, "I find I can't resist you..."

And then his mouth was against hers, open and ready, tongue demanding that hers tangle with his. The pleasure of his kiss was nothing compared to the sensation his fully clothed body gave hers as he ground his hard penis between her thighs and against her center. Oh, how she wanted him, all else be damned.

Hermione began to wriggle beneath him in an attempt to push down her clothes. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, wanted to feel him inside of her. Severus never broke their fevered kiss as his free hand moved to help her. As her jeans and knickers moved down her knees, her legs maneuvered them lower as her hands then went to the fly on his trousers, intent on releasing him.

His mouth finally moved from her lips to her throat, nipping and sucking hard enough that she was certain he'd leave her marked. And she wanted that, just as she wanted to mark him. Her mouth found his flesh where his neck met his shoulder, and she returned his action, thinking in the back of her mind, Hope he doesn't think of what Nagini did to the other side of his throat while I'm doing this on this side.

His moan and the increased pressure of his body against hers told her that Nagini was the last thing on his mind at the moment. For now, only she consumed his thoughts. I find I can't resist you, he'd said. The knowledge she had captivated him while no other had been able to, save his first love, lit her insides on fire. She wanted to prove that she was the only woman who should be in his heart... his mind. Why should she have to share with a dead woman?

"Take me," she murmured boldly the instant one of her legs was free of her jeans and knickers, not caring that the other leg was still entangled with them. Her free leg curled around his body like a snake as he pushed down his trousers and underpants enough to comfortably slide into her.

"Yes," they breathed in unison, causing him to still, their eyes meeting in wonder. As he resumed his slow strokes, their gazes remained locked. She wanted him to see into her soul if he could, and she wanted to attempt to see into his. The situation would work out; she knew that. How could it not?

Letting go of all thought, she allowed herself to concentrate on the delightful friction she felt each time he pushed into her and pulled nearly out of her. His thrusts were long and deep.

"Sever... ah... us..." she said through a choked voice as he hit a certain spot inside of her that made her toes curl and her nails claw against the duvet beneath her. This caused him to quicken his thrusts, and she tried to match his strokes, gyrating her hips as their bodies met. "Harder, yes... Oh!"

Over and over again he pounded into her, neither caring that they'd never finished undressing, only wanting to reach culmination together. And it was coming... building within... rising... overtaking....

"Oh God, oh yes... Don't stop...." Waves upon waves of feeling washed over her, peaking and driving her to cling to him tightly. His movements became frantic and sporadic at once, and she heard him mumble something against her flesh that sounded like my wife, but she couldn't be certain. When had she closed her eyes anyway?

They lay sated and panting, him still embedded in her. His sweaty forehead was pressed against her throat just below her ear, and she moved slightly to press her lips against his cheek. He was amazing.

After many moments had passed, Hermione said, "I had Bozzy bring us a tray of lunch. Are you hungry?"

"I am," he replied, moving off of her to lie on his back.

"I'll get the tray," she said, freeing her leg of her clothing. Her shirt was long enough that it covered her bare bottom, so she felt no qualms about going across the room to get their food. She knew he'd told her to not be shy around him, but it was still too new not to feel a little embarrassed.

"Thank you," he said, pushing himself up against the headboard and accepting the tray. When she settled beside him, he said, "About just now, I just..."

"Are you going to apologize?" she asked incredulously. "If you haven't noticed, I did enjoy it."

His eyes met hers. "But when you were lying there, sleeping, I wanted to touch you."

She knew what he was getting at and nodded. "Isn't that what married couples do? Why should we be any different?"

"You were tricked into this. I know that much," he said firmly. "Therefore, we aren't the typical married couple."

"I knew that we would have to have sex."

"But you did not know you would be bound to me."

"Lucius and I had no way of..." She stopped abruptly as a flash of Lucius' face, a cruel smile playing on his lips, came to mind. A soft voice inside her head whispered, Lucius will pay for what's he's done. I won't forget.

Severus reached for a sandwich and handed it to her before taking his own. "Tell me about Weasley."

"What about Ron?" She felt uneasy.

"You were seeing him, were you not?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"He went on a business trip," she said a little bitterly. "Found himself some pleasure to mix into it. Why?"

"And you know this how?"

"Lucius had someone find him. There were pictures."

"I see." He took a bite and licked his lips while he chewed.

"I can't believe he did this to me. We did have a row before he left, but..."

"Over what?"

"We... He wanted to have sex, and I didn't, so he was a little upset."

He paused and looked at her. "And this is what made him turn to someone else?"

She shrugged. "I suppose so."

"And yet you respond to me so freely...barely knowing me, not even liking me."

Her face reddened. "I had no choice!" she blurted.

"Ah, so you admit it. You were tricked into this. You secretly find me repulsive."

"No! I don't. I thought that I would, but you're nothing like I thought. I want to get to know you. I want to make the most of this. I... The tome, it said..."

His rich laughter cut her words short. "I've seen that tome before."

"Of course, Lucius has had it for a long time. He got it from Mrs. Black."

"Yes, yes, and it's magical all right, but not in the sense you think."

"How dare you mock me! Do you know where my father is right now? He's in the hospital, and it's all because I tossed that tome down and refused to do this!"

Slowly, he chewed the last bit of bread, his eyes diverted from hers. Once he swallowed, he said, "I do apologize for what's become of your life." His eyes lifted. "But I am not sorry to be alive again, and selfishly, I want to say that I deserve your sacrifice."

Hermione took his hand. "I wanted you to live. You do deserve this. I didn't mean to make it sound like I don't want this. What I've done may eventually enable us to change things, beat death. Do you know the work I can put into this? I would devote my life to something as worthy as that." She blushed slightly. "And so far we've got on all right."

"Sex with you is... amazing," he admitted.

"Really?" she asked in surprise. It was good for her, too, and she'd thought he'd liked it, but to hear him voice it out loud warmed her heart. "I only ever... There was just one other person, and it wasn't really good, not like you."

His eyes darkened slightly. "Lucius has always bragged about being good in bed. I shall have to let him know that he leaves much to be desired then."

She was surprised by the venom behind his words, but she was too shocked to comment on it. "How did you know it was him?"

"He told me."

"But surely he also told you that the potion from his grandfather required my blood... a virgin's blood? We had no choice. He was the only one I could trust. Ron was gone with that other woman, and I couldn't just go up to someone and ask them to...where are you going?"

Severus had moved to get out of the bed. "I will kill him."

"Wait! What?" she asked, horrified, her hand on his arm. "I'm so confused."

"You didn't need blood from your hymen, girl. A prick on the finger would have sufficed!" he said hotly. "I had no idea that this was not explained!"

Hermione pulled away from him. "No, it clearly stated that..."

"Enough!"

"Don't speak to me that way! Like it or not, I am your wife now...and an adult! Explain yourself or let me explain. I'll not be shushed like some child!"

He took a deep breath and quietly said, "There is much going on that you do not know about. You have been lured into this. I cannot explain it all to you right now."

"Why not? I deserve to know the truth!"

"There is a drug in your system. For me to tell you the truth, it would shock your mind. I cannot utter it to you, but I can try to jar your memory." He reached out to cup her cheek. "Try to understand that this isn't easy for me either. I'm torn between being grateful and loathing what's happened. I'll not lie to you. I wanted to live again, for where I was, it was not death, nor living, and there was no peace."

"Where were you? What do you remember? Wait...drugged? WHAT? By whom?"

He sighed. "I should have said nothing, but there is more here than you can possibly understand at this moment." He smirked. "However, I don't fear that it will come to you. You know something isn't right, yes?"

She nodded. "I can feel it. I keep having flashes of... Lucius. Only he's not the Lucius that I've been working with. He's the man I used to call Malfoy in my mind, harsh and hateful." Bringing her hand to her mouth, she thought of what he'd said, "Oh, God, what's he done to me?"

Severus looked away. "For now, we will not dwell on it, but when the time is right, Lucius will pay for what he's done."

Hermione gasped. He'd said the very thing her mind had recalled thinking at some point before. Tears welled up in her eyes. There was so much that she knew, but her mind couldn't wrap itself around the information. What was it? Frustrated, she allowed the tears to spill down her cheeks, and she sobbed quietly. Her feeling of desperation lessened as his arms wrapped around her.

"I tried to throttle him," he admitted, "but I couldn't do anything... not really."

"Too weak?" she asked when she found her voice.

"A protective anointment. I can't harm him."

This made Hermione's sobs return. What had she done? What all had gone on? Why was she drugged? Only Lucius could have done this to her. But why? They'd been working well together.

"Were the dreams real?" she finally asked.

"I remember snatches of things," he said. "What I remember most vividly was talking with you by the sea."

"Yes!" she said, looking up at him excitedly. "Oh, I'd hoped you would be that Severus and not the horrid... er..." Her voice trailed away. "What are we going to do now?"

"Take each day at a time," he said. "It's all we can do for now."

Wiping the streaks away from her cheeks, she said, "I want to go see my father and mother."

"Are you ready to tell the world that you are a married woman?" he asked.

She pulled back and looked at him, mouth agape. What would her parents say? What would Harry and the others say? Ron? Oh, Ron, how could you have done this? How could I? What's happened to our plans and us? I'm sorry!

"I hadn't thought of that. We'll have to explain how you survived of course." She frowned. "I won't be able to openly discuss what Lucius and I have done. I took an oath."

"We will just say that I've been in a coma all this while, here at the manor. It's nearly the truth."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "I do want to tell my mother that I'm married, though, but maybe I should do it alone. I'm sure she'll be quite shocked."

"Perhaps."

"I want to go wash up."

"Are you finished eating? You've only had one."

"For now. I just need..." she looked at him apologetically, "to be alone for a few minutes."

"Fair enough."

"Thanks." She quickly gathered some clothing out of a trunk. Before she left the room, she said, "I'd like to leave the manor. I don't want to stay here any longer."

"We can go to my home."

"Whatever you'd like, so long as it's not here. I can't stay here not knowing all that's truly gone on." She frowned. "It feels as if I should be away from here to clear my head."

"I'll make arrangements."

"I won't be long," she called over her shoulder as she slipped into the adjoining room.

As she sank into the bath, her mind replayed things the tome had written to her, things Severus had said, things Lucius had said. More than anything she was determined to make sense of it all, and drugged with some potion or no, she'd piece together all that was blurry or missing.

He was powerful.

The world shall be at his feet.

What exactly did that mean? It sounded as though he would be the next Dark Lord. However, the lover she'd shared a bed with didn't seem to have lording over anyone on his mind. He seemed genuinely relieved to be alive, obviously wanting to experience life to its fullest now that he's been given a chance. Whatever Lucius had done or planned to do, Severus seemed to not want any part of it. That comforted her very much. Soon. She'd know everything. Soon. It would come to her.

And then she realized something. Severus seemed completely comfortable with her, as if he'd expected it to be her when he awoke. His spirit had connected to her through the dreams somehow. "Hang on," she mumbled. "He'd said that he couldn't imagine it being anyone else but me." The moment came back to her.

"I want to know every part of you," he stated plainly.

One of his hands tangled into her hair and then twirled a finger around a curl. "I find it hard to believe that it could be anyone else."

Something niggled at her mind. What? And then something else came to her: a soft, smooth drawling voice; an arrogant expression; a smug smirk; cool, narrowed silvery eyes.

"You are also Severus' type, so that is in my favor. Did you know that he spoke fondly of you once with me? Over some firewhisky, the day before he was killed in fact, something about admiring your intelligence and fearlessness. However, I thought breaking into Bella's vault to be quite foolhardy."

Lucius had said these words to her. His voice had been cold, unfeeling, and very unfriendly. When? Was this real? It had to be. She closed her eyes and tried to think. Only mocking words came to her.

"Now go. Prepare your husband. Give him life."

Her eyes opened when she could remember no more. The uneasy feeling in her stomach was replaced with anger.

~~~O~~~

"Well, Ron's really bollixed this up," George said. "If I'd known all this would happen, I'd have gone myself."

"Actually," Ginny said, "I'm surprised you sent Ron in the first place."

"Yeah, why is that?"

"Well, I'd planned on going, but then Angelina came round and said she wanted to spend some time with me. She works locally and couldn't go with me." He shrugged. "Ron seemed up for it. It's not like I don't trust him to do what's right by the shop...or at least I did anyway."

Harry nodded. "I don't understand it either."

George stood up after he downed the last of his gillywater. "Back to the shop with me. Don't want to leave Angelina alone too long. Saturdays are usually busy."

"How's that going?" Ginny asked softly, not elaborating.

"Starting a relationship with Fred's ex-girlfriend, you mean?" he asked bluntly. When his sister nodded, he said, "It's not awkward as you might think. It seems like we can grieve together and like we understand each other more than anyone else could." He smiled sadly. "I think he would have wanted that."

"I think so, too," she said with a smile. "Off with you now."

"Thanks for the lunch. I'll let you know if the little wanker gets in touch with me."

"All right," Harry said.

Ginny added, "We'll do the same." After her brother walked away, she said, "We still need to find Hermione. She should come with us to France, don't you think?"

Harry ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "I've checked the hospital. Her mum hasn't seen her, but she knew that Hermione wanted to take a few days away."

"Still," Ginny added, "I can't see Hermione just not going to see her dad while he's there."

"I know," Harry agreed. "But we can't be certain where she is."

"I think you know more than you're letting on," Ginny said wisely. "Tell me about it."

He sighed. "All right. I think she's at Malfoy Manor, and before you ask why, let me just say that I can't just walk up to the front door and tell Lucius I want to search his place for Hermione."

"But I can," drawled a smooth voice from behind.

Harry turned to see Draco Malfoy there. "How much did you hear?"

"Hello to you, too," he replied casually, sitting down uninvited. "You missed our meeting. I've been looking for you."

"Sorry, but something more important has come up."

"It's about Granger," Draco said. "I've been trying to tell you this for a while now, but every time we were supposed to meet, something would come up. I think my father had something to do with that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he tried to forbid me to talk about it of course."

"About what?"

"Not here, Potter. Let's go elsewhere." He looked around the Three Broomsticks distastefully. "Your place."

However, Ginny wasn't having it. "If you know something, Malfoy, you need to tell us now."

"Wait, Gin, he's right. Let's go to Grimmauld Place where nobody can hear us and there'll be no distractions." Harry stood, tossed some Galleons on the table, and extended a hand to Ginny.

"Lead the way," Draco said, standing as well.

Harry was uncertain as to what Draco could say on the matter, but from the look in the man's eyes, he was sure he wouldn't like what Draco had to say. First, Lucius Malfoy had made Hermione take an oath, then all that shite with Ron had gone down, and now Draco had something to say about Hermione and the situation she was in? One thing was for certain, if Lucius Malfoy had harmed his friend in any way, he'd kill him.

A/N: More up soon!