The Tigress Lily

Ok all, because it was so long between updates I got off my ass and wrote two chapters tonite. I hope you guys like!!!


The house elf deposited the tray and made a hasty retreat. Two of the people the house elves feared most in one room was too much for even the bravest of his kind. Professor Snape who showed no interest in the house elves, in fact his treatment could have even been called kind. They feared the imposing potions master nonetheless. Mistress Granger had tried to free the house elves for years. Rumors had spread through the kitchens, rumors had grown, and now the house elvelieelieved that they would be accosted in the halls and forcibly given clothes.

Severus and Hermione watched the house elf disappear, a look of terror on his face. Hermione and Severus exchanged a look and both with concealed smiles. Severus reached forward and lifted the tray. Using only one hand caused the tray to become unbalanced and the coffee pot tipped forward, spilling hot coffee on Severus. He stood quickly, pulling Hermione with him and tried to brush the coffee that was now burning him off. Hermione brought her hand up and tried to help him. The second her hand touched his chest it was as if a circuit had been completed. Everything went black and suddenly she was seeing memories that did not belong to her.

There was a little boy crying in a bathroom. A tall, dark haired woman stood at the bathtub. She was filling the tub with water. Steam was filling the bathroom and Hermione realized that she was only using hot water to fill the tub. The woman turned and grabbed the little boy. He continued to cry her her face grew more and more taunt until she reached out and slapped him across the face. His head snapped back and he became silent although tears continued to stream down his face. Hermione could feel the terror and the dread coursing through his tiny body. The woman picked up the little bnd dnd dropped him into the scalding water. The little boy began to shriek and then the scene disappeared and an older Severus appeared before her.

He was standing shirtless, arms extended, holding a book in each hand. Sweat was beaded on his forehead and upper lip, an intense look of strain and concentration on his face. He was no older than ten. A man, obviously his father, sat in front of him. Each time his arms drooped the man would strike him with stick. The boy had been hit so many times that blood had begun to flow freely from his arms and back. The boy never whimpered, never made a sound but stood there for what seemed like hours. When his father finally stood and left the room the boy collapsed. He clutched his stomach and vomited and then lay motionless in a hen thn the floor.

The memory faded again and now Hermione was watching Severus at a Death Eater meeting. He was near her age now and robed in the garb she had come to fear. His face was distorted in pain and he lay on the ground, trembling. He was under the Crutasious curse. Again, no sound escaped his lips. The other Death Eaters finally vanished and one man, similarly clad stepped forward. He removed his mask and knelt by Severus’ side. He gently wiped the sweat and tears from Severus’ face and softly kissed him on the lips. “You did well tonite.” Then Lucius stood and disapperated. The memories faded again.

Hermione found herself looking into Severus’ eyes, their bodies only inches apart. Suddenly searing pain flashed down her stomach and thighs. ‘The coffee,’ she thought, ‘I can feel his pain from the burns.’ She reached out and placed her hand on his stomach, at the same place where her own skin felt on fire, and wished she could take away his pain. For a moment neither moved and then she felt a rush of coolness all down her front and the pain vanished.

Severus’ eyes widened in surprise as he felt the healing spell being cast. It had come from Hermione, although she held no wand, and was powerful enough to alleviate all the pain from the burns. He tipped his head down and brushed his lips against hers. Once, twice, and then stepped away. The coffee had soaked his hospital gown completely and in all the places where their bodies had come in contact Hermione’s was also soaked through, leaving it transparent. He took one assessing look at her body and found what he saw beautiful beyond words. Then grabbed a blanket from the back of the love seat and wrapped it around her. Once she was covered he pulled her to him.

Hermione could still feel his lips against hers, even as he covered her with the blanket and pulled her body against his own. He was shaking so hard she thought he would collapse. She gave him a moment to hold her and then stepped back, pushed him to the couch and settled against him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him tight into her embrace. His head settled into the crevice of her neck and he pulled her tighter against him.

Even as Severus nuzzled against her he became afraid. His walls, his protection was crumbling. He could feel it. This girl, the know-it-all Gryfindor, this woman, was destroying all of the barriers he had built to protect himself, and Severus knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.