Do Not Touch What is Not Yours

A/N: Much love to my ladies: Lariope, Lulabelle72 and RedSkyAtNight. Thanks for all your help and support.

Hermione should've felt the searing pain of her knuckles cracking against Rodolphus' jaw as she punched his grinning face, but numbness and shock had frozen her nerves, sending her primitive and inborn response to fight for her survival into action.

In a swift moment, she slipped her wand out of her pocket, but before she could cast Protego, Greyback leapt at her, snarling with his pointy, brown teeth. He clawed at the front of her shirt and shoved her backwards into the brick wall. Hermione wheezed, regaining her breath. Greyback growled and backhanded her, snapping her head to one side. She groaned, blinking away her tears, and ignored her throbbing face. She waved her wand, blurry vision making it difficult to see where she was pointing, and remembering her lover's favorite spell, she shouted, "Sectumsempra!"

"AHHH!! FUCK!" Greyback crumpled to the ground, clamping filthy, meaty hands over the bloody gashes in his left leg.

Hermione bolted for the street--towards safety. But heavy footsteps stomped behind her, faster, faster.

"Stupefy!"

Stunned, Hermione toppled to the ground; her wand skidded across the stone pavement, sliding under a large, metal rubbish bin. Lestrange loomed over her with Greyback limping at his side.

"Thought you could get away from us, Mudblood? We warned you that we would meet again. Didn't you get our note?" Lestrange taunted, squatting next to her, running one ragged fingernail down her cheek.

Voldemort didn't leave the message--these bastards did!

Rodolphus Disillusioned the three of them and added another Silencing Charm.

"Do you know why we've come for you?" Greyback snapped. "No? Because of Snape. He's a traitor to the Death Eaters. He doesn't deserve the privileges the Dark Lord grants him because he is loyal to Dumbledore!" Greyback hawked the spit in his mouth and spat on her shirt.

"Hold her down--I'm removing the spell," Lestrange instructed. Greyback kneeled above Hermione's head, pulled her arms above her body and held in her place. Lestrange unbuttoned his trousers, slipped his red cock out of his pants and knelt between her legs.

"Get off me!" she shouted, struggling to kick her legs at Lestrange as he slipped his hand under her skirt and ripped the crotch of her knickers apart. As soon as his fingers grazed her lower lips, Hermione's body began shaking uncontrollably.

She screamed when he dipped two fingers into her dry cunt. Pain sliced through her body, making it impossible to see straight--her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest.

As Lestrange lay on top of her, forcing his cock to enter her body, Hermione began convulsing. White foam poured from her mouth, followed by vomit. She turned her head to the side, trying to let it dribble out of her mouth so that she did not choke on the contents, but her body was shuddering so badly that she felt as if she was being suffocated. She envisioned herself lying dead in the dirty alley--her clothes ripped apart because she had been raped, and the yellowish green vomit covering her face and chest. She didn't want to die like that, and she began crying, unable to stop the foam bubbling out of her mouth. What in Merlin's name was wrong with her?

"What the fuck?" Greyback shouted.

"She's having a fit! Get up! Let her go," Lestrange said, jumping to his feet and pulling his trousers over his exposed groin.

Hermione tossed back and forth on the ground, trembling, gagging on her sick, and losing the contents of her bladder.

"Disgusting... Let's get out of here! She'll be dead here soon!"

Two nearly simultaneous cracks, and the Death Eaters had Apparated away, only the sound of her retching indicating where Hermione lay on the filthy, stony ground.

Snape groaned, prying open his heavy eyes. For a moment all was a blur, but soon, the familiar face of Potter swam into view, peering over him.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Snape croaked. The dryness in his mouth was rough, and he tried salivating, but nothing happened.

"Glad to see you awake, sir," Harry said, holding a cup of water in front of him and placing the straw near Snape's mouth.

He barely parted his cracked lips, sucking up the cool, refreshing water as he glanced around at his surroundings.

The Hospital Wing?

When the water was gone, Harry placed the cup on the bedside table and sat down in the chair next to the bed. Ron was sitting beside him, looking worn and tired.

"What's the last thing you remember, Professor?" Ron asked. Snape had never seen the Weasley boy looking so serious and concerned.

"Where's everyone else? Where's Poppy?"

"We are watching over you for now. The missing girls from Beauxbatons were found, and she's helping with them," Ron said.

"They were alive?" Snape asked, surprised.

"Half of them," said Harry. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Stop playing these games, Potter. What the fuck happened? How did I end up here?"

"We're not sure. All we know is that there was a small battle with three other Death Eaters, and you must've been hit with a Dark curse. Lupin said that you fell to the ground, convulsing, as if you were having some sort of attack. He said you were screaming and holding your stomach... and you were being sick everywhere. They brought you here, ran diagnostic spells over you, but couldn't find anything wrong."

"That was two days ago," Ron interjected.

Two days!

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked.

"How do you think?" Snape said. "I've lost two days--what has happened?"

"That's not what I meant," Harry replied.

"Astute as ever, Potter." He sighed. He felt fine, just a bit sore in his back, but other than that, normal. "I'm fine. Nothing hurts, and I'm not ill. Now... what has happened?"

"Well, apparently Vold... You-Know-Who... wanted to attack Beauxbatons because he knew that the Order would come to their aid and rescue them. He thought he could take out a lot of the Order members and Aurors when they arrived to 'save the day," Harry explained.

"How do you know this?"

"We caught a junior Death Eater. Ferguson, I believe that was his name. He told us everything. Said that they learned of the location from some Muggle girl, but he didn't know who she was, or how she knew of a magically protected building."

Ferguson! What a pillock!

"The Aurors have just been questioning the people we caught. The Order has helped the students of Beauxbatons move to Drumstrag--the Headmaster invited them."

Snape nodded his head. "When can I leave? I've got things to do."

"Madam Pomfrey will want to give you a check-up before she releases you. She should be back later this evening."

Snape exhaled and leaned his head back against his pillow, eyes half-closed and gazing around the room. He noticed another body lying two beds away from him.

Snape sat straight up in the bed, eyes wide, when he realized it was Hermione.

"Why is she here?" he shouted, leaping out of the bed, ignoring the opening of his hospital gown which exposed his black pants, and ran over to her side. "What happened?" he demanded.

"We're not sure, but we assume she was hit with the same curse that you were hexed with," Ron said, placing his hand over hers. "She seemed to have the same symptoms."

"Don't touch her!" Snape snapped possessively. He hovered over her body, hands outstretched, and began chanting under his breath.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked.

Snape ignored them. He was using old magic, a Dark spell that he had learned when he was younger, to locate her wounds. But he felt nothing. She was merely unconscious for no reason.

He brushed a thin strand of curly hair away from her cheek and drew the cover up to keep her warm.

"What's going on with you two, Snape?" Harry growled.

"It's none of your concern," Snape replied, glaring at the boy who had interrupted him while he was taking care of his Hermione.

Harry drew his wand out of his pocket. "It is my concern. Answer me."

Snape tightened his jaw. "You are no match for me, Potter. Put your fucking wand away before you have... an accident."

"Stop it. Both of you. Don't have a row while Hermione is lying there, injured!" Ron shouted, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder.

Snape cocked his eyebrow. The Weasley brat had a point, but he wasn't going to admit it. He waited for Harry to lower his wand.

"I want to know what is going on with you two--"

"And I want to know why she's in here, which happens to be more important! Start explaining."

Harry huffed as Ron began explaining. "Harry and I returned to Hogwarts after we searched Little Hangleton with Moody and some other Aurors. We found nothing and decided to go back to Grimmauld Place and check on Hermione. But she wasn't there. So, we went to her parent's house, hoping she'd be there checking on her family. Her parents were in and said that they hadn't seen Hermione for hours. So, we went to her cousin's flat, but she wasn't at home. We finally caught up with her cousin at the pub she works at. She said Hermione had been there earlier and had been upset because--"

"Because of the note that was addressed to her," interrupted Harry.

Snape noticed the way Ron looked confused, as if that wasn't what he was going to say.

"What are you hiding, Potter? And don't forget I'm a master Legilimens."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine. Jezzie said that Hermione had told her the location of Beauxbatons, and had thought that perhaps her cousin had told you the Secret. Which means, Hermione thinks you are the one who informed the Death Eaters--"

"Harry! We don't know if that is what Hermione thinks. That is your assumption. Jezzie said that Hermione had been a wreck. She thinks she told someone who was untrustworthy--that it is her fault that the girls were abducted. Jezzie also said that Hermione asked if anyone had been bothering her cousin, and Jezzie said she thought she had seen you earlier that day, but then said it was her imagination. That is why Harry believes that Hermione thinks you told the Death Eaters, Professor. But that's rubbish, right? You wouldn't do that--you wouldn't do that to Hermione, would you? Especially if what is going on between you is what I am guessing it to be."

When did the Weasley boy become so intuitive? But he has no idea what I have to do in order to play my role well...

Snape smirked. "Apparently, Hermione's cleverness has rubbed off on you, Mister Weasley. And yes, I admit... Hermione and I... well... you understand."

"I thought so."

Harry snorted. "You're shagging her, aren't you?" he shouted, his hands in fists next to his side.

"What does it matter?"

"She's like a sister to me, you git! I swear if you hurt her--"

"You'll what, Potter? Attempt to hex me with your mediocre Expelliarmus?"

Harry raised his wand. "You bast--"

Ron stepped in front of Harry, pushing on his chest, guiding him backwards and away from Hermione's bed.

Snape protectively placed his hand on Hermione's arm. "Your temperament doesn't surprise me, Potter. But if you raise your voice once more near Hermione, subjecting her to--"

"Both of you need to stop. Now, we can talk about this in the hall, or you can both grow up. Even though she isn't conscious, she doesn't need the bad vibes," Ron hissed, looking back and forth from Snape to Harry.

"Please continue to explain how Hermione ended up like this," Snape said with barely controlled anger, suppressing his impulse to slice both boys apart with a flick of his wand.

"Jezzie said she left unexpectedly. It isn't like Hermione not to tell her cousin where she's going, so we began to use the standard Auror Tracking Spells to locate her specific aura. We found three signs of magic, and all of them led us to an alleyway outside the pub," Harry said, attempting to be calm.

"We knew something was wrong--no one was in the alley. However, the residue signatures of the unknown magic were less than Hermione's, which meant she was still there. Harry cast a Finite Incantatem, and a Disillusionment Charm and a Silencing Spell disappeared, revealing Hermione. She was lying on the ground... in a horrible mess," Ron said, solemnly. He looked at Hermione and sighed.

"What do you mean she was a horrible mess?"

"She was shaking, vomiting, crying... She had even soiled herself," Harry said, grimly. "She had the same symptoms as you. Madam Pomfrey hasn't been able to find any curses in her. Is it Dark Magic?"

No, Weasley... not Dark Magic. It's just the protective wards of a promise made to a Slytherin. Which means she desired someone...? Fuck!

"I... I have an idea what it might be, but I will not convey that information just yet... Not without a few tests."

"That isn't all that was wrong with her, sir. When we found her..." Ron eyed Harry, who nodded his head for the other boy to continue. "Her shirt was shredded, as if it had been clawed. And her skirt was above her waist, and her knickers... Sir, we think she might have been..."

"Raped," Severus stated, his lips pursed and his blood boiling.

"Yes, but we aren't sure. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't confirm or deny it. She said it wasn't our business."

Snape gripped the white sheets on Hermione's bed, digging his fingernails into his palms through the cotton. "You said there were two other magical auras with hers--to whom did they belong?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Harry swallowed. "Rodolphus Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback."

Snape turned away, facing the stone wall behind him. He breathed heavily through his nose, his body trembled. Fury coursed through his veins, building to a rage that tingled his nerves and narrowed his vision to one thought.

They had nearly raped her. Those fucking cunts! But the promise she had made in the Grotto had protected her--her body reacted as if she were trying to be with another man, causing her to fall ill and scaring them off.

Nevertheless, they had tried to take her against her will. They harmed her. They had terrified her. But most of all, they had tried to take something of his away.

They were playing with fire.

I'll fucking kill them.

"Give me my clothes," Snape growled, a murderous red haze blurring his vision.

In a shaky voice, Ron asked, "Professor, what--"

"My clothes!"

"Y-yes, sir."

There was shuffling from behind him, but Snape focused on the zigzagging cracks in the stone wall, attempting to calm himself so that he could concentrate and properly exact his revenge without hindering his position as a spy.

"Here are your clothes and wand," Ron said.

Snape whirled around, snatching the neatly folded pile out of his hands. He sat the clothes on a chair and took off his hospital gown. He knew better than to use magic to dress himself--he was suppressing too much anger and would have only have succeeded in blowing himself up with the power that would have radiated from the spell. Therefore, he put one leg in his trousers like every other Muggle, slipped on sock on at a time, and pulled his shirt over his head.

"You're going to hunt them down, aren't you?" Harry asked as Snape buttoned his trousers.

"There will be no hunting involved. I know exactly where they're located," Snape growled, shoving his foot into his boot.

"He's going to kill them, Harry," Ron said.

Snape cut his eyes towards Ron, waiting for the Auror in Training to attempt to arrest him. Ron gave him a slight nod of the head, signaling that he consented to Snape's actions.

"Take us with you," Harry said, watching the silent exchange between Snape and Ron.

Snape snorted and yanked on his other boot.

"Take us! She was our friend long before your... whatever she is to you..."

Snape shot up out of the wooden chair, slamming the Chosen One into the stone wall.

"You will not go with me, Potter! Your soul is pure and must be kept that way, you foolish idiot!"

"He's right, Harry," Ron said, coming to standing next to Snape. "You need to stay focused on You-Know-Who. But I don't have the same responsibility. Take me, Professor."

Snape released Harry, surprised at the other boy's voluntary action. He took a step back and realized that somewhere along the line, perhaps it was during their training as Aurors, these two young men had finally begun to grow up and understand about sacrifices. Both of them were willing to split their souls, to go against everything they believed in as Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix, just for the sake of their friend, Hermione. Snape knew that if she had been awake, she would never allow her friends to do that on her behalf. She would want justice another way.

It was now his responsibility to enforce what Hermione would have done--she wouldn't be happy knowing that her best friends wanted to kill, and Snape couldn't have her hurting anymore. As much as he wanted to take Weasley with him, to show him what it was like to kill for the first time, he knew better. Snape's soul was already in tatters. And once he had the chance to tell Hermione about the wrongs he had done to her... Well, this would simply be one more thing to add onto an already long and sordid list.

For the second time, Snape had thought about Hermione before something awful happened. It was just like when he had saved her cousin from the Death Eaters, except that now, he was now saving her friends from becoming cold-blooded killers.

"As much as I appreciate your... bravery, I cannot allow this. Both of you must watch over her. Protect her until I return. She wouldn't want you killing anyone on her behalf, and you both know that."

Ron sighed. "You're right..."

Snape grabbed his wand, briefly touched Hermione's cheek, and headed towards the door.

"Professor."

Snape turned around, barking, "Yes, Potter?"

"One day, the Aurors will come searching for them..."

"I'll leave no evidence."

"Be sure you don't. I'd really hate to have to arrest you for this. It would destroy Hermione."

Snape nodded. "Send your Patronus if her condition worsens, or if she wakes."

He swung open the heavy doors and headed towards Knockturn Alley.

A/N: See--it wasn't that bad for Hermione. She's all right. And knowing me, it could have been worse--more squicky, blood, gore, pain... I spared you all. hahahhahah...

Side note--Again, I must give special love to Lulabelle72. I have been dying to say this for a while, but SEE SEE SEE! I TOLD you that the Grotto played a HUGE roll in this story! The illness scared them off of her! Now do you understand how important this was? But also, in a few more chapters, we will see the final use of the Grotto, and I will remind everyone again, that Lulabelle72 is my saving grace. Without her idea for the Grotto, I wouldn't be here. Thanks.