The Fortress Within

I just want to reiterate that this entire story contains very disturbing
scenes of rape


I just want to reiterate that this
entire story contains very disturbing scenes of rape, torture, murder and other
horrid stuff.  This is your warning
and if you can’t le ile it, turn back now.
 


Severus rolled over in bed and threw an arm over his face,
trying to block out the sun streaming in the windows set high on his wall. 
He replayed the evening spent with Hermione. 
“Not Hermione. Not Hermione.”   He
suddenly remembered someone was sleeping on the sofa. 
He sat straight up in bed and peered out through the doorway. 
 


She was gone.  With
a glance at the clock, he realized why.  He
had overslept and was missing breakfast.  He jumped out of bed and made his way quickly to the bathroom
to take care of the most pressing issue at the time.  As he stood there, he realized there was no need to rush. 
It’s not like he went out of the way to share meals with his
colleagues.  During the school year,
his presence at meals was almost a requirement and he missed few. 
During breaks, the staff was free to come and go as they pleased. 
Why should he rush up there now, just because of her??
 


He finished his business and moved to the sink. 
There were hair-removing spells, but he chose to shave the old fashioned
way.  There was something almost
comforting about the feel of the sharp edge against his skin, the miniscule
sound of the hair being sliced as the blade moved over it. 
 


He chose to dispense of his robes today, it was just too
damn hot.  He picked out a pair of
black trousers and a white, cotton, short-sleeved button down. He ran a comb
through his thick hair and caught it at the nape of his neck in a black band.
After a quick teeth-cleaning spell, he moved out into the sitting area. 
 


She had folded the blanket neatly and laid it across the
back of the sofa.  He had and urge
to pick it up and see if her scent lingered in the soft fleece. 
He shook his head and buried the feeling deep. 
He noted the room had been put back rderrder, bottles returned to their
places and the dirty dishes removed. 
 


He left his rooms and paused to listen at her doors. 
He didn’t hear any sounds coming from within; but decided not to knock
and check for her presence.
 


Severus made his way up to the Great Hall. 
Because of his late appearance, most of the staff had finished their
morning meal and were gone.  Albus and Minerva remained, lingering over their coffee. 
He was motioned to take the seat opposite them.
 


“Coffee black, toast dry.”
 


Albus had a serious look on his face. 
“I assume, that from both of your absences last night, that you and
Hermione had a chance to settle things between the two of you.”
 


Severus shot him a dirty look over the top of the
steaming mug.  “I suppose that you
mean between the three of us don’t you. 
Yesterday afternoon I settled things with Professor Granger, last evening
I settled things with her evil twin.  I
believe that I now have a working relationship with both of them.” 
 


He put his mug down on the table with a slam. 
He covered his face with shaking hands and struggled to keep his voice
low.  “I don’t know how I am
going to manage all of this. I don’t know what to say or what to do with her. 
How do you deal with someone who just transforms before your eyes into
someone else.”
 


Minerva McGonnegal reached across the table and pulled
Severus hands away from his face.  He
did not object when she didn’t release them. 
“You deal with her as two separate people.  You speak to her accordingly and you do not corner her in any
way.  You have to respect her both
halves.  We have to keep her stable
until this is all over.”
 


“What about when it’s all over, what then??? 
Do we just slap a binding curse on her and lock her away in St. Mungo’s? 
What will the Ministry do to help her? 
They created her and they’ll just turn their backs and ignore her. 
My God, these people were her friends. 
She trusted them and look what they have done to her. 
She deserves more from them than that. 
She deserves more.”
 


Albus nodded his head in agreement, “You are, most
likely, right.  The only assurance I
can give you Severus is that I will not turn my back on her.  She will not be locked up and forgotten. 
I will keep her here for as long as is necessary to make her whole
again.”
 


Severus accepted this promise; Albus was a man of his
word.  “By the was was she here
at breakfast.”  At the nods of
affirmation, he continued, “OK, then where is she now??”
 


Minerva sat back in her seat. “She received an owl
during the meal.  After reading it,
she said she had to leave for a while and would be back late tonight.”
 


Severus groaned, “A Brown Fish-Owl??”
 


Minerva looked surprised, but nodded her head.
 


“If you two will excuse me, I have work to get done. 
I imagine it will take the rest of the day, I’ll see you in the
morning.”  He left the Hall
without another word.
 


He worked in his labs like a madman. 
Cleaning, stocking, brewing, anything to keep his mind off of what was
going on at Malfoy Manor.  He worked
throughout the day, eating at his desk.  After eve evening meal, he left the castle.
 


He proceeded to the gates of the castle, where he waited. 
After several hours, he heard footsteps coming down the path from the
castle.  Albus Dumbledore appeared in the waning light of day. 
His inquiry was simple, “Malfoy?”
 


Severus gave a brief nod of his head. 
 


Albus returned the nod, “I thought as much. 
Let me know if you need anything.” 
He turned and made his way back to the castle.
 


Severus stood at the gates far into the dark night. 
Around 3am he heard the telltale “pop” and Hermione appeared out of
thin air.  She jumped as Severus
stepped out of the shadows.  “What
in the hell are you doing here??”  She
was furious and gave him no chance to explain his presence. 
“You cannot stand here and wait for me like a homesick puppy. 
What if Lucius decided to be a gentleman and walk me home?  What if I had been followed? 
Are you really that stupid.”
 


She took off up the path towards the castle without a
second glance at him.  He couldn’t
help but notice the stiff way she held herself as she walked. 
He caught up with her in several long strides.  “Are
you OK?”
 


She stopped and looked at him incredulously, “What are
you babbling about, Snape?”
 


“You, the way you are moving, walking. 
Have yoen ien injured?”
 


She laughed at him, outright laughed at him. 
“I’m sorry, but you really don’t get it, do you?” 
He shook his head slowly, confused. 
“Let’s just say I’m a little saddle sore and leave it at that.” 
She turned and resumed her trek to home, calling over her shoulder, “If
it makes you feel any better, Lucius is so chafed, I doubt he’s walking any
better.”  She disappeared into the
dark.
&.
 


A few weeks passed and things fell into a sort of
routine.  The students returned to
Hogwarts, helping the days to pass a bit more quickly. 
Several evenings a week, Severus and Hermione met to plan, or sometimes
just to talk. 
 


Severus was never sure which Hermione would be visiting
until she walked in the door.  He
had a working relationship with both and was at ease no matter who was there. 
He never again waited at the gates for her. 
On the nights she left to meet Lucius, he watched from the top of Serpens
tower for her appearance, watching until she entered the castle. 
He made his way down from the castle, in time to meet her at her door. 
They usually didn’t speak.  She
just communicated that she was OK, with a nod of her head and slipped into her
rooms.
 


About 2 weeks into the term, they were seated at dinner
when Severus felt an all too familiar burning, ripping through his arm. 
He stifled a moan and looked to her. 
Her eyes held the familiar darkness of the Deatheater he knew she was
being called as well. 
 


Severus caught Albus’ eyes and rubbed his arm,
conveying to the Headmaster what was going on. 
Albus nodded slightly then closed his eyes briefly to mumble his spell.
 


He stood from his seat and offered an arm to Hermione. 
“Professor Granger, would you care to join me for a walk?” 
She seemed quite confused by the show at first, but caught on quickly.
 


“Of course, Professor Snape, I would be delighted.”
 


She latched onto his arm like a vice and walked carefully
and deliberately from the hall.  As
soon as the doors swung shut they looked for the first dark corner and apparated
from the castle.
 


They immediately appeared in the ballroom of Malfoy Manor
and dropped to their knees in front of Voldemort.  The Dark Lord leered down at them, “Aaah, my undercover
agents have arrived.”
 


Severus was amazed at the nerve of the young Deatheater
at his side. Hermione quickly rose to her feet and addressed the Dark Lord head
on.  “My Lord, I am pleased you
have seen fit to call me again.  I
was afraid that my forced alliance with this one had lowered me in your
status.”  She indicated Severus
with a sharp nudge of her foot.
 


“Not at all, not at all. 
I trust you have been able to whip our boy here into shape. 
How goes things at my old alma mater??” 
 


“It goes, my Lord, it goes.  With Severus’ help, I now have the Headmaster’s ear. 
Unfortunately, for my reputation, he thinks the Potions’ Master is
romancing me.  The romantic old fool
is absolutely giddy at the thought of Snape here finally getting a piece of ass. 
It does allow us to spend a lot of time alone, planning our attack, so I
suppose it does have its advantages.  The
performance inquiries I have to endure with the other female faculty members are
becoming tedious and more than a bit nauseating, to say the least.”
 


Voldemort seemed to truly delight in the muggle-born
witch.  “Oh you poor thing. 
I’m sure tonight’s festivities will more than make up for the
inconvenience.  How are your plans
coming, Severus?”
 


Severus remained prostrate on the floor. 
“I’m trying to individually convince the staff that traveling over
the December Holidays would be most enjoyable. 
I have also discovered most of the students will be going home for the
same holidays.  It’s still too
soon to tell, but I believe that this may be the ideal time to strike against
Dumbledore.”
 


The Dark Lord considered the plan so far and found it to
his liking.  “Keep me abreast of
the situation.  I am most pleased
with the working arrangement the two of you have established.  Most pleased indeed.  Arise
Severus.  You’ve spent enough time
on your knees for the night.  Unless
of course it’s by your choosing later.”
 


The Potions Master rose and took his place by his
partner.  Voldemort raised his voice
to the large crowd gathered in the room, “I believe I have heard everyone’s
reports for the evening. Lucius, Draco and their cohorts will be returning soon
with our pets for the night.  Enjoy
yourselves, my children.  I am most
pleased with all of you.”  With a
clap of his hands the lights were dimmed and the beat of muggle music flowed
through the air.
 


Severus leaned into Hermione’s ear, “You didn’t
have to kick me so hard, you know.”
 


She chuckled low in her voice, “Oh, didn’t I? 
A lot you know.  Besides that wasn’t anywhere near hard, Snape. 
Want to have another go?”
 


“No, that’s OK. 
I’m just going to get a drink and mend my broken ribs.”
 


“Have fun, I need to use the bathroom and freshen up a
bit. To be a slut, you have to dress like a slut.”  Hermione gestured toward her teaching robes that she wore.
 


With a bow, Severus backed away and made his way to the
bar.  With a wave of a wand he
disposed of his form fitting frock coat.  He
unbuttoned the top buttons of the black shirt he wore and looked around the
room.
 


Suddenly, a multitude of pops could be heard through the
room.  Malfoy Sr. and Jr. and 5
other Deatheaters Severus did not recognize had apparated into the room. 
In their company were ten or so muggle women and a few muggle men. 
The pets had arrived.
 


Lucius immediately found Severus seated at the bar. 
Things were winding up on the dance floor. 
Lucius took the seat next to Severus and ordered a whiskey. 
“Severus, I’ve found quite a pleasing assortment tonight, wouldn’t
you say?  Literally traveled to the
ends of the earth for this group.  See
any that catch your eye yet?”
 


Severus put on his wooden smile and downed his scotch in
a single gulp before replying, “Not yet, I believe I’d like to observe their
specialties first before choosing.”  The
bartender indicated his empty glass and waited for the dark man’s nod before
refilling it.
 


“You always were a voyeur, my friend. 
I’m assuming my playmate came with you tonight, am I correct?”
 


“You are correct. 
We were at dinner and dressed in our robes when the call came. 
I think she went to make a costume change. 
Always trying to please you, isn’t she?”
 


As if on cue, Hermione slid up behind Lucius and wrapped
her arms around him.  Her hands slid
inside his shirt and she nibbled on his ear. 
Her kohl rimmed eyes, though, were pinned on Severus.
 


Lucius removed her hands from him and drew her around to
stand between his legs.  “Anxious
tonight, are we, my darling?  Well
slow down a bit.  We were just
talking about voyeurs, and I’m thinking I may be one for a while tonight. 
Care for a drink before you get started?”
 


Hermione had transfigured her robes into another little
leather number.  She wore a leather
skirt, riding low on her hips.  Above
a very wide line of skin was minute leather top. 
It was laced down the center and her very full breasts were threatening
to topple over the top of it.  Between
the skirt and top, Severus could see a sparkling line. 
She was wearing a jeweled thong.
 


She called out to the bartender, “Tequila, salt, lemon,
no glass.  Just leave the bottle.”
 


Hermione prepared her drink much the same as she had in
his rooms in August.  This time, as
she licked her hand, she gazed seductively at Lucius.  After her lemon, her tongue came out to grab a bit of lemon
juice that was conveniently in danger of falling from her lower lip. 
Without missing a beat she handed the bottle to the blond man. 
She licked her finger and ran it over the top of her breast, down to the
start of her areola.  Carefully, she
poured the salt on the wet line.  She
picked up a slice of lemon and inserted it into the hollow of her cleavage.  “Care to join me in a drink?”
 


Lucius looked at her and then at Severus. 
He cocked his head to the side and set the bottle back on the bar, his
blue eyes never leaving the black ones.  “You
know I don’t care for tequila, my sweet.” 
He slid the bottle down in front of Severus. 
“I’m sure your partner would care for a shot, though.”
 


“He’s testing us,” thought Severus. 
Hermione turned round to face him and he could see in her eyes that she
knew it too.  She arched her back a
bit and presented herself to him.  Her
eyes remained on his and remained clear.  She
looked almost frightened. 
 


Assuming that she was unsure of his reaction, he forced
himself to play along with Malfoy.  “I’m
not especially foul of this piss, myself.  But,
when it’s presented so pleasingly, I suppose I could indulge myself.” 
He picked up the bottle from the bar and bent his head to her neck. 
He began at the hollow of her throat and began to nibble a pattern down
her neck to the salt line.  At the
first sharp taste, his tongue snaked out to lap up the salt. 
She gasped in a breathy voice, “Mmmm, Severus.” 
At the sound of his given name, he lifted his head and met her eyes
again.   He studied her carefully as he brought the bottle to
his lips, trying to din whn who stood before him. 
 


Still not sure he bent his head again to run his tongue
across the top of her other breast to the lemon wedged in the center. 
He picked the lemon up in his mouth and bit down. 
Juice squirted out and droplets splattered across her front. 
He dropped the fruit into his hand and cleaned the mess up.  Hoping Malfoy would be satisfied for a while, he lifted his
head again to study her.  Still, her
eyes were clear.  Her hands were on
his thighs and he could feel that they were shaking.  He had a horrible suspicion that Professor Granger was
standing before him.
 


“Granger,” he snapped. 
Her spine straightened immediately and her hands stilled. 
He was pleased to note that her eyes darkened and a smirk appeared on her
face.  “Lucius, while I must say
that drink was most refreshing, I do prefer my platters to be a little less used. 
I believe I’ll find a muggle tonight to enjoy.”
 


Lucius seemed most pleased with the exchange. 
“Hermione, I believe I said I wanted to watch. 
Go play hostess for a while and wind yourself up. 
I’ll let you know when I’m ready for your performance. 
Severus, I believe we have a few things to discuss, if you could hold out
for ale lle longer.”
 


Hermione obediently moved off through the crowd. 
Severus half-listened to the blond man for several hours, while keeping
an eye on his partner.  She danced and flirted her way through the crowd. 
Various men took her mouth and breasts. 
They groped her and she kept a smile pasted on her face, seemingly
enjoying the attention. 
 


He heard Lucius change the topic to the woman currently
performing a lap dance for the elder Crabbe. 
“She’s got a voracious appetite, and for quite a wide range of
tastes. I find it shocking that she was sorted to Gryffindor.  Maybe the hat’s getting a little old.” 
 


Suddenly he could hear a woman’s screams and the smell
of blood was in the air.  It seemed
he had lingered a bit too long and things were going to get nasty. 
He refused to allow himself to turn in the direction of the muggle being
tortured.  “If you don’t mind
Lucius, I’m ashamed to admit I don’t seem to be able to quell my lust any
further.  The sound of screaming
always did push me over the edge.  If
you’ll excuse me.”
 


“Of course Severus, enjoy yourself.” 
Lucius rose from his seat.   “Oh
Hermione,” he called, “let’s go dear, you’re on.”
 


Now that the violence had started, he knew he had to play
his part as well. 
 


He found himself a muggle woman and led her to a table. 
With a whispered spell, he insured she was unaware of what was about to
transpire. She would die at someone’s hands tonight, at least he could assure
that she did not know what was going on.  In
a low voice he called a happy memory to the front of her catatonic mind.
 


 He tore her
skirt from her and ripped apart her shirt. 
After another whispered spell to harden himself, he opened his pants. 
He bent over her and entered her violently, making sure he felt the
telltale trickle of blood.  He
reached a hand down to the sticky redness and smeared it across her torso for a
dramatic effect. 
 


He bent over the woman, and placed his wand
inconspicuously between them.  As he
worked the girl, he became all too aware that not far away, Lucius Malfoy stood
stroking himself openly.  He
followed Malfoy’s eyes until he saw her. Hermione was laid out on a table. 
An unknown wizard was grinding himself into her forcefully. 
He could hear her passion filled cries of pleasure and see her nails
raking a bloody path down the man’s back
 


He looked into her eyes, thankfully noting that they were
blank.  He remembered the time he
had shared in her mind.  He closed
his eyes and began reciting a potions lecture in his mind.  His attention was focused on the young woman sitting huddled
and rocking in the front row of his classroom. 
His body droned on as his lesson did.
 


He felt his climax come and was thankful to be done. He
opened his eyes and his hand gripped his wand. 
He could ensure the muggle no torture tonight and a peaceful escape. 
“Avada Kedavra” he whispered, hiding the bolt of green light
from sight with his body.  He rested
himself on her body and waited until her pulse had died.
 


He accio’d the knife he carried from his boot. 
He raised himself off the girl and with a quick movement, splayed her
open from stem to stern.  His part for the evening was done.
 


He looked across at Hermione and saw she was finished as
well.  Her dark eyes were no longer
dead, but were still fixed on him.  She
had seen what he had done and how he had done it.  She told him this through her eyes and the halfhearted smile
she gave him. 
 


He redid his pants and pulled himself together. 
Hermione still sat on the table, with Lucius by her side. 
He made his way to them.  “Granger
are you quite through with your physical activities for the evening? 
I believe I’ve worn myself out and would like to get some sleep before
the fucking 5th year Gryffindors I have in the morning. Since we left
for our romantic moonlit walk together tonight, it’s only prudent we return
together as well.”
 


Lucius eyed Severus’ blood spattered face and then
noticed the corpse on the table. “Gods, Severus, couldn’t you have left a
little for us.  You always were a
little quick on the draw.”  Lucius
laughed out loud at his double entendre.  “Go
ahead, Hermione.  He’s quite
correct.  Don’t want to blow your
cover now, darling.  I’ll owl you
in a few days.”  Lucius kissed her
forcefully and then shoved her toward Severus.
 


They made their way to a corner and apparated to the
gates of the castle.  Severus
didn’t say a word, just started toward the castle.
 


Hermione called out to him softly, “Severus, wait.” 
He stopped at the sound of her voice, the sound of his Hermione. 
He hung his head and waited for her to catch up to him. 
 


Hermione stepped in front of him and reached up with
tentative fingers to cup his chin.  She
raised his head and looked deeply into his eyes.  With a pass of her hand, his face was tingling. 
“You had blood on your face.  Can’t
have you scaring any rule breaking Gryffindors out after curfew.”
 


He didn’t meet her smile, only her eyes. 
Her hand moved from his chin to his cheek. “It’s OK, Severus. 
You gave her an easier out than she would have gotten with those
monsters.  We do what we have to
do.”
 


He nodded at her sadly and reached up to take her hand in
his. Together, hand in hand, they walked toward the castle. 
He told himself it was to keep up appearances.