Time lost. ...EPILOGUE UP!

*Laughs* Kalderas! You crack me up. Don’t lose faith. Remember, I am God here. A cruel God, but still ….

Read on……



Back at the Dance…



Hermione finally found the bathroom eventually and she scourgified herself clean. Adjusting the straps on the dress, she trembled slightly from the residual weakness from her orgasm. Why did Severus do that!? How did he make her so weak with a simple touch or kiss. All of her resolve melting away at the taste of his soft demanding lips. He said she was his, and she could not dispute that.

Tragically, she knew she was his, but they had no time. It was not fair. It just was not fair at all. Gods, the way she loved him was painful. It gave a strange kind of strength, this love. Hermione leaned against the bathroom stall and tried to still the sobs that threatened to bubble up from her chest.

Severus Snape was a dark, dangerous and obsessive wizard even as a youth. Hermione knew this just from his past with her. Cruel, perfunctory and dead. HE was DEAD and he was a bastard to her in her own time. Cutting, mean and terrible, even if he was a hero. Hermione was deluding herself. She straightened her back and unlocked the stall.

Hermione walked to the mirror and washed her hands, meanwhile staring at the girl in the mirror. The girl staring back at her looked unbearably sad and flustered. Nothing like the goddess from earlier.

Hermione felt defeated. Severus was going to break her heart as surely as his death eventually would break her soul. Hermione wanted to hate him. She saw the man inside the boy tonight and it had shaken her badly. Suddenly she knew that she would never want to leave here. Never go back. Never see her family again.

Severus had the power to coerce her to stay forever and everything would change, indefinitely. She did not belong here. Hermione needed to act and stop mooning about Severus. Hermione’s destiny was beginning to seem a lot like a death sentence. In her purse, the potion sat in a hidden pocket. What would happen if she….

She felt her heart pounding suddenly in her ears as she realized what she was contemplating.

She was being foolish. Lily had to be with James; otherwise, Hermione coming here was futile. Hermione gritted her teeth. No! She was not a failure. Hermione Granger had never failed at anything in her life. She was NOT about to start now. People depended on her.

Hermione dabbed some water on her face and freshened up the lipstick that Severus had eaten away. She flushed slightly as she recalled how it had felt. She was pleased to see the blush helped give her some vitality back to her coloring. Hermione swiftly moved out of the bathroom and back to the Ballroom.

The Dance was in full swing. Hermione searched for Sirius but he was nowhere to be found.

Hermione walked over to pour a glass of punch, and drain it as Lily had earlier. She felt unbelievably thirsty and she secretly hoped the spiked pumpkin juice would ease her aching heart if not dull it.

Hermione turned around again to face the dance floor. She could feel the heat from the moving bodies as they danced and everything blurred slightly from fast movement and flashing lights.

Hermione heard a noise that sounded like an appreciative whistle as she walked past a group of students wearing Death Eater Robes in the corner.

Ugh, Slytherin.

Death Eater’s were not commonplace in this time so they probably felt secure wearing the costumes. Hermione darted at look at the cluster of Dark Wizards wondering if Severus was among them. Unfortunately, this was too long and one of them came towards her.

The Death Eater bowed mockingly. “Hello Princess. You seem to have an interest in danger.” The voice was slightly thuggish as he captured her wrists and tugged her onto the dance floor. Hermione shifted slightly looking around the room for one of her Gryffindor friends anxiously.

“Um, I really don’t want to dance right now.” Hermione tried to interject politely but the masked boy just pulled her closer to him. Hermione felt revulsion cross her face as she feels his hands lowering to cup her bottom through the sheer material.

Hermione pushes back from him annoyed. “Listen buddy, I don’t know who you are but you might want to keep your hands to yourself.”

She twists in his arms and tried to get away but the Death Eater holds her tight. Hermione feels her heart beginning to pound and she looks around for Sirius, Lily, or anybody to help her.

In the darkness of the room, people crowded around and the music pounded so loudly it was unlikely that anyone would hear her if she screamed. The teachers were nowhere to be found and the ballroom was actually taking on a more clownish and menacing feeling.

Hermione tried not to panic. The boy had stopped groping her butt and she felt relieved. “I can’t wait to see what you taste like, Mudblood.” The words were light and airy but the context of the words seemed to cut at her.

“Whoa… what?” Hermione stuttered and tried to pull back but the boy pulled her arms around him and teasingly held her wrists there.

“Severus told us how good you were. He said you scream like a banshee.” The Slytherin was grinning under his mask and Hermione saw glittering green eyes beneath the Mask. Hermione felt the pain of his words registering but ignored it and him. She closed her eyes and considered her options for getting away from this rather strong and brutish young man. Hermione figured it was Crabbe since he had green eyes and was a known Deatheater.

“Does Severus know your dancing with me Crabbe?” Hermione smiled brightly, but it did not reach her eyes.

Crabbe dropped her wrists when she said his name. “It doesn’t matter. Soon you will not even think of Severus. He is passing you on to Lucius. Everybody knows that.” His tone was flat and she could tell he believed what he was saying.

“Once Lucius is back from the hospital Mudblood you’re done for and that’s tragic.” He whispered into her ear and hooked his arm around her waist pulling her closer against him.

Crabbe’s breath stunk of firewhiskey and she shuddered in revulsion at his close proximity. Crabbe misinterpreting her reaction hissed in her ear.

“See luv, I knew you were a hot little piece. Just like Sev said. So responsive. A perfect little Mudblood whore.” Hermione reeled from the shock of hearing Severus’s words spilling from Crabbe’s lips. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

Crabbe leaned in closer.

“Tell you what. I could protect you. Let me fuck your cunny just once, willingly. Then I will make sure that none of the others gets to you. You are a nice piece and I would hate to see what happens to you after Severus throws you to the wolves. You think you are the first piece of ass he has ever had, gel? You will not be the last either. Look, Sev is all over Evans even as we speak. Looks, like you got passed luv.”

Crabbe slid a hand over Hermione’s cheek and she felt sick. Hermione followed his gaze to Lily cozying up to a Death Eater in the corner. WAS Lily insane? No, just drunk, what was in this pumpkin juice?

Hermione felt the room moving in slow motion and in every corner Death Eaters lurked, the skulls grinning menacingly while the unknowing students laughed and laughed.

Hermione felt her brain melting slowly as the Crabbe’s face moved in and out in front of her in disjointed circles. Suddenly Hermione realized the punch was not filled with firewhiskey per say, but something much more potent. She had not really drunk any of it before; Severus caught her off guard too soon for that. Hermione’s eyes widen in horror.

The Death Eaters were planning something tonight. The other students as well as the Marauders were drugged. Lily obviously was drugged though currently she just appeared to be in a lip lock with a Death Eater that Crabbe claimed was Severus. The pain of that thought caught her off guard.

Hermione staggered back from Crabbe suddenly feeling very dizzy. “Oh… I don’t feel well.” Hermione stumbled backwards and Crabbe caught her in his arms. He gently steered her back towards the group of Death Eaters.

“Sit down. I don’t want you to vomit.” Crabbe sounded almost polite and she shook her head as if to clear it. Crabbe guided her to a seat across from him.

“Think about my offer.” Crabbe whispered into her ear and he stood up walking over to the other cloaked figures and whispered to them.

Hermione caught snatches of the conversation in between the dizzying, circling of the brightly colored room. She felt apart from her body, almost as though she could not move on her on accord.

Crabbe absently rubbed the back of her neck as she sat in the chair facing outwards as the Death Eaters gathered behind her, laughing and joking. Hermione did not feel capable of responding to his touch with enjoyment or anger. It was too much effort. She felt like a doll that only could be activated when someone talked to her or forced a command on her.

Hermione used her analytical mind to decipher the elements of the drug. The potion was a powerful one. It gave the sober individuals completely command over the intoxicated ones just by the default of control of their faculties. Like a Muggle Roofie but worse.

The potion was like a remote that those around others can control. Like a drug version of the Imperius Curse. Fighting it was countered by the other components in the drug. It was a lethal concoction of a combined relaxant tonic and a bit of fire whiskey to destroy motivation. The potion was brilliant and undetectable and most definitely Severus’s genius at work.

Crabbe leaned over Hermione staring down her top as she sat stiffly in the chair. “This whole night was planned as a reward to Severus. He has always wanted Evans. Now, he had her right where he wants her. Look. Look carefully.”

The command in Crabbe’s voice reached the synapses in her brain and Hermione turned her head to face the couple intertwined.

Hermione followed Crabbe’s gaze towards Lily and the Death Eaters mask was pulled up. She saw the trademark pale skin and dark hair as he swooped in on Lily capturing her mouth. His beautiful elegant hands slid up under Lily’s costume out of sight.

Hermione stared across at them as she had been instructed, unable to look away when she felt a tickle in her left eye.

Her stomach dropped as she tried to suck in a breath. Wetness leaked from the corner of her eyelids but her face frozen expressionless from the drug.

This was Hell.

She could not wipe the tears away if she wanted too. Her hands were like lead at her sides. She continued to stare across at them as the tears slipped down her face. Her gut was burning from the heartbreak she felt, the jealousy raging in her and the hurt that followed.

Crabbe watched her face. “See luv, its best if you just go with me now. You should not be forced to watch this all night.” Hermione’s eyes widen and she shook her head slowly.

Crabbe rubbed the back of her neck again and smiled commandingly. “Come with me.”

Hermione rose up at the command and walked with Crabbe and he led her out of the ballroom. Something cold bubbled up inside her as she followed him. Hermione stared dutifully at the couple until they were out of sight. Hermione blurrily catching Severus’s eyes as she passed to the outside.

Crabbe tugged her hand and pulled her against him as he led her back towards the dungeon area. His hands slide around her waist and he possessively steered her down the stairs.

Hermione felt numb and distant, not only physically but also emotionally. She did not care what Crabbe had planned nor did she care about what would happen to her afterward but she had a good idea it involved things.

Bad things that would forever rob her of any desire to touch another human being again. Hermione was unfortunately very knowledgeable about what happened at Dark Revels, being such a studious witch and all.

Crabbe leaned down and pressed his mouth to her throat and bite down hard at the pulse. Hermione’s body shivered slightly in disgust and Hermione took it as a good sign.

Maybe there was a way out of this yet. If she had not imbibed enough of the punch then maybe she had a small amount of control as the toxins slowly leave her body.

Quickly Hermione measured the potency of one shot of the potion and tripled it to almost three times that of alcohol. It was a guess but based on what time it is now, she had two hours left before she regained complete control of her body again.

She did not want to be in Voldemort’s hands by then. She wanted to die on her own terms.

TBC, Later today......... I promise, but reviews DO make it faster. You can thank Kalderas for this chapter being posted so much quicker.


Toodles!