Hope

Thanks to the people who reviewed:

fervesco: Thank you, yes it is rather disturbing, but yes thats what i was going for. There are not so bad chapters now, but its not going to be exactly fluffy romance ether for a while:P
QueenC: Thanks Mate! Yes you are right, I will have lots of angsty parts in the furture but i will also have some fluffy stuff for the romantics, but be warned there is darkness ahead, not to close though:P
Me: Nice of you to give an actual name for your flame, although it may not have been a flame. Ne way, heres some niceness for you...


Professor Severus Snape was sitting at the high table, eating breakfast, and looking characteristically pissed off. “Calm down Severus,” comforted Dumbledore, eating a piece of toast, “It can’t be that bad.” Severus scowled at the man as he finished his breakfast, and excused himself from the table. Stupid know-it-all, thought Snape spitefully. It was going to be another long, boring day, he thought as he continued through the maze and labyrinth that is Hogwarts.

On arriving at his room, everything seemed so normal, but shortly after he began to grade papers, he heard a small voice crying from inside his lab. Snape was furious at the thought that someone was in his lab, but then it hit him, whoever it was sounded as if they were in a great deal of pain. He went to investigate.

Upon opening the potion’s lab door, Snape was shocked to see the bloody and bruised body of Hermione Granger tied to his desk. He was immediately by her side, removing the chains. She collapsed in his arms so he carried her over to the couch; she was bleeding profusely from her head and there was some blood that trailed from her vagina. If Snape did not stop the bleeding soon she would die. Snape ripped his robe into shreds and wrapped some of the pieces around the wounds on her head. Snape knew the blood between her legs could only mean that she had been raped, so he hurried up the infirmary, holding her in his arms.

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When he entered Madam Pomfrey looked rather distraught at the site. She screamed ever so silently and protectively grabbed Hermione, placing her on the bed.

“How,” she asked, “did this happen?”

Snape looked at her. He didn’t have a clue. “I don’t know, I walked into my potions lab and there she was, tied to my desk. I am as shocked as you Madam Pomfrey.”

The nurse seemed almost angry with him. “Well,” she yelled, “Don’t just stand there, go and get Albus!” Snape turned on heal, angry that she had accused him. He headed out of the door and up to Albus’ room.

“Albus!” yelled Snape as he walked through the door.

“Calm down Severus, what is it?” Albus said, looking at Snape cautiously.

“Hermione Granger, I just found her in my potions lab tied to one of the tables. She had been beaten, raped and left to die!” he yelled.

Albus looked at him for a moment, wondering which he was more concerned about, the girl or the room, but neither had time to think for as soon as he finished his thought they were heading back down to the infirmary.

When they arrived Hermione was dressed, cleaned and awake. She looked little better than she did a half an hour ago, but at least she was alive. Hermione looked over to the two men, and cringed. Which was the one who had found her? My God, I must haveked ked so much like a slut to them, she thought and she began to cry very softly. Snape felt a strong urge to comfort the girl, but thinking of what she had just experienced considered it unwise. He, instead, sat on the chair next to her bed, allowing Albus to take over.

The Headmaster looked at her with sadness in his eyes. “Hello Hermione. I am glad that you are alive. You have Professor Snape to thank for that, had he not have arrived when he did…” He left off, not wanting to continue. Hermione looked over to Professor Snape, but as much as he wanted to smile at her, his scowl maintained itself.

“Iveryvery sorry sir.” Hermione apologized, although she knew what had happened wasn’t her fault. Snape suddenly got the urge to communicate with Hermione – well, he reasoned with himself, not knowing quite what to say in this situation, all he could think of was, I want to know why she was in MY potion lab.

“Hermione, can you tell us what happened? Why you were in my potion lab?” Snape demanded in a softer voice that even surprised him. It also surprised the Headmaster when he heard it, looking at him with a glint in his eyes. Hermione looked up to Dumbledore, and he smiled at her, asking her to begin.

Hermione looked to the bed beneath her, not wanting to remember what happened, but the twinkle in the Headmaster’s eyes were soothing and reminder her that she could trust him. As she explained what had happened that day and why she was in Snape’s lab; she began to cry uncontrollably when she got to the part of being raped. She told them very slowly and with long pauses. She included her assailants’ names, knowing she was safe from at least Voldemort if not Harry and Ron while the Headmaster was here.

When she had finished she closed her eyes. She did not want to look at them, and especially not Snape, since he had seen her like that, all bloody, bruised and naked. She turned red with embarrassment, but she felt that she should apologize to Snape never the less.

“I’m sorry I was in your lab Professor, I never meant any harm, I’m sorry you had to find me in such a state.”

Now it was the Professor’s turn to redden. Dumbledore looked to Snape and motioned for him to follow him to the other side of the room, where Hermione would not hear them.

“Severus, look at her, she almost died. Someone needs to keep watch on her. You know I cannot expel the two responsible for this, because it would put her in more danger if they were free to roam the community. At least here, we can keep an eye on them, but someone must look after her, make sure is doesn’t happen again. Severus I need you to watch her, to protect her.”

“I am not about to baby sit Miss Know It All!” he hissed.

“Severus, you are the only one powerful enough, besides myself, that can offer her the protection she needs,” Albus whispered sternly. “And with your current status as an active Death Eater, you can keep her better protected than I since you know Voldemort’s next moves. I expect you to protect her and keer ser safe.”

Severus was not happy with the idea of watching Hermione, ‘the Know-It-All’ Granger, but relented never the less, he could not bear the thought of what had happened to her. It was his job to protect the students, even her.