Tangled Web

A/N: I would like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. It\'s greatly appreciated. A special thanks goes to my beta, snapeaholic!


Chapter Six: The Dark Ball

Severus stood before Hermione. “Put this on,” he stated coldly as he shoved a bag of clothes into her hands.

Hermione took the bag and set it on the bed. She thought that he had been particularly more grumpy than normal since he woke up this morning. Yet, she also knew that he had slept in the chair, which could not have been very comfortable. With a sigh, she pulled out a black velvet cloak. Then, she pulled out a little dark green ‘shirt’ that appeared to be little more than a bra. The last thing in the bag was a dark green skirt that had two very high slits in it. Turning back around, she looked at him, her nose wrinkled in distaste. “You want me to wear this?”

He nodded curtly. “We don’t have much time. Put that on so we can go.”

“Go? Where?” She was not about to go anywhere dressed in that outfit. He hadn’t even spoken to her about any of this. He had left her this morning and had just recently came back. She was hungry, too, as she hadn’t had any food since breakfast.

“The Dark Lord is throwing a victory party. Everyone must attend, which means that even you have to make an appearance since he knows that you are with me.” He could have snapped Lucius’ neck for making a point to tell the Dark Lord about Hermione.

“And, I have to wear this?”

He resisted the urge to bang his head against something. Taking the tone of one speaking to a small child, he said, “Yes. All of the prisoners attending must be dressed as the Dark Lord wishes, which means as scantily clad as possible. Your outfit there is at least better than the others.” He had already seen what some of the witches and wizards had to wear. It left little to the imagination. “I did get you a cloak to go with it,” he added. He wasn’t going to tell her about the chains yet.

She glared at his tone. “I’m not going.” She sat down on the bed and crossed her arms defiantly. She wanted nothing to do with the Death Eaters, Voldemort, or his stupid victory party.

He lost his temper. With a swift movement, he grabbed her arm and forced her to stand. “You are going, even if I have to dress you myself and drag you up there,” he hissed. His other hand grabbed the clothes and shoved them at her. “Now, go into the bathroom and get ready or else.”

Her brown eyes narrowed as she stood there, pondering which decision to make. “Fine,” she finally hissed as she stomped into the bathroom. She slammed the door and began to dress, mumbling about not wanting to go.

“Do something with your hair, too,” he yelled as he sat on the bed, waiting for her to come out.

She slightly growled. “Do your own greasy hair first,” she hissed back, though it wasn’t loud enough for him to hear. Reluctantly, she put the clothes on. The skirt showed off the curve of her hips, and the slits on either side reached just two inches below her hips. She felt almost like she was wearing a loincloth. The ‘shirt’ barely covered her breasts and made them appear bigger than they were. She spent ten minutes fixing her hair just right. Finally, she put on the cloak. With a sigh, she exited the bathroom and stood there. “I’m ready,” she stated flatly.

His mouth slightly fell open when he saw her. She looked beautiful. He had never realized how curvaceous she was or the fact that she had that much cleavage. He blinked and swallowed hard. “Er…yes, let’s go.” He stood up and took out his wand. With a quick flick of it, he had conjured chains on her wrists. Putting his wand away, he placed his hand on the chain and held it tightly. He turned to walk, but she didn’t budge.

“Take. These. Chains. Off. Now.” she punctuated, her eyes blazing.

He had expected such a reaction. It was the main reason he hadn’t told her. “Hermione, prisoners have to be chained. I know you won’t run away, but it will distinguish who you are.” He also wanted to make certain that he could keep an eye on her at all times. “Now, are you going to come on your own free will or do I have to use the Imperius Curse on you?”

She was absolutely furious, but there wasn’t much she could do, and she had no doubt that he would use the Imperius Curse on her. “Fine,” she ground out.

“Good girl,” he said with a smirk. “Come along then.” He held onto the chain and led her out of his room and to the Great Hall. Glaring straight ahead, she reluctantly followed him.

The closer they neared the Great Hall, the more she grew wary of what she would see. She had only seen Death Eaters in battle, and she thought their behaviors to be atrocious. She didn’t know what to expect, so she unconsciously stepped closer to Severus as they entered the Great Hall.

The fond memories Hermione had of the Great Hall did not reflect the place she had entered. The enchanted ceiling that she marveled over was still there in its brilliance, but there was little else familiar about the room in which she had spent many meals, parties, and even her first ball. Instead of the candles floating in the air, there were torches along the walls, leaving most of the room dim. At each side was a long table, covered in food. She particularly noticed Crabbe and Goyle being particularly gluttonous. Where the head table once sat was a dais with a throne. Voldemort was sitting on it, staring amusedly at his Death Eaters. He was flanked by Lucius Malfoy and Ginny Weasley. Lucius was whispering intensely in Voldemort’s ear, while Ginny had her face twisted in a stone cold mask.

There were many Death Eaters and more prisoners as herself. Then, her gaze fell upon the cages. One had Remus in it as he was pacing back and forth while screaming inaudibly. She could not tell who was in the other cages. Most of the Death Eaters were joining in a violent orgy at the center of the Great Hall. Her stomach twisted in knots as her curiosity got the best of her. “Who is with them?” she asked Severus. She was now so close to him that she could feel the heat from his body.

His eyes went to the middle of the room, and it took a minute for him to be able to answer her. “It’s Tonks,” he whispered softly into her ear.

She blanched upon hearing this. “Poor Tonks,” she said softly. She swallowed the bile that threatened to rise in her throat. There was so much noise that she couldn’t hear Tonks’ screams as they raped her, if she did even scream or could scream. She wasn’t certain. There were masses of men waiting for their turn, and she finally understood why Severus wanted to keep her safe. “Can we go now?” she asked faintly. She had seen enough.

Solemnly, he shook his head. “We can’t leave until I make enough of a presence here.” He tightened his hold on her chains and led her to the corner of the room. He hoped that no one would notice her, but it wasn’t long before he saw Ron Weasley striding towards them.

Ron stopped in front of Severus and Hermione. His gaze lingered on his ex-fiancée for a moment. “Severus, I would like to speak to Hermione,” he stated as boldly as he possibly could. There was still a touch of fear in his voice towards his old Potions Master.

“I have nothing to say to you, Ron,” Hermione said coldly. Her eyes blazed with a silent fury. He had betrayed her, his family, his best friend, and his school when he had given Hogwarts over to Voldemort, and she wanted nothing to do with him.

Severus’ black eyes fell on Ron. “She doesn’t want to speak with you, and I don’t want you speaking with her. Find someone else to play with,” he hissed as a dismissal.

Ron hesitated. “Hermione, we need to talk. It’s important. There are things you need to know.” She went to slap him, but the chains restricted her. So, she kicked him hard in the shin. “I said I have nothing to say to you,” she hissed.

Ron winced as pain burst through his shin. He took a couple steps away as his gaze hardened. “You need to keep better control of your prisoner, Snape. If she acts out again, I will tell the Dark Lord, and he will take care of her.” He turned sharply and limped away.

Severus pulled hard on the chain, causing her to smack against him. “You need to watch what you are doing. He can get you into a hell of a lot of trouble,” he hissed. Ron was close to the Dark Lord since he had given him Hogwarts. “Now, come with me,” he stated as he gave the chain another yank, making her move with him. He was walking towards the back of the room when Lucius came over. “Lucius,” he stated.

Lucius smirked. “Hello, Severus.” His cold gray eyes fell on Hermione. “I see that you have brought your little prisoner.” He reached out and brushed a glove hand against her cheek. “Would you like to give her up for a while?”

Severus shook his head as he yanked the chain, making her body touch his. “Oh, no, Lucius. I’m not finished with her yet.” He ran his other hand down her side. “I suggest that you just look and don’t touch.”

Lucius chuckled lowly. “Possessive of her already. I guess that she is the first woman you have had possession of in years,” he teased.

Severus frowned. “I’m not like you who kisses and tells, Lucius.”

Lucius’ eyes slightly narrowed. “Don’t ruin my good mood, Severus. There is to be a big announcement shortly.” He glanced over to the opposite corner where the Dark Lord and Ginny were having a lively conversation. “You will want to stick around for it.” He smirked and walked off.

Hermione shivered slightly. She was really glad that Severus had been there with her. She couldn’t stand the thought of Lucius Malfoy touching her again. “What do you think the news is?”

Severus shook his head. “I have no clue,” he admitted. Lucius was in a very good mood, so it had to be something bad. He noticed that a few people were looking at him and especially at Hermione. He gave them a glare as he led Hermione over to where a few seats were. They were close to the main exit. He wanted to leave as soon as this big news was announced. He took a seat and looked at Hermione. “Sit on my lap,” he stated with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

She looked at him and blinked. “What?!”

“Hermione, if you notice, most of the captives are being used as various toys. To keep up appearances, you should sit on my lap. Trust me. I’m getting no joy out of this,” he stated coldly.

She huffed. “Fine.” She sat down on the very edge of his lap. She felt extremely uncomfortable doing this, but she knew that it was what she had to do. Her eyes fell longingly to the exit. She knew that he would allow her to escape if she really wanted to. Then again, she didn’t care if he allowed it or not. She didn’t know where she would go though. She couldn’t just leave what people she had left in her life. Besides, she still wanted to stop this evil from spreading. She would think of something. A soft sigh fell from her lips. She wished that she could go to the library; there might be something in there that would help her. Suddenly, she was torn away from her thoughts as she heard Remus’ voice screaming at some of the Death Eaters.

Remus growled toward the Death Eaters. “Let her go! She’s unconscious.” He had stopped pacing in his cage. He could no longer stomach what they were doing to Tonks.

One of the Death Eaters appeared to be rather amused with Remus. “He probably wants a go at her too.” He went over to the cage and laughed. “Don’t you?” Remus lashed out towards the Death Eater, but he was just out of reach.

Another laughed too. “Let’s give her to him. She’s no more fun, since she’s not changing.”

A few others nodded in agreement. Tonks was grabbed by two of them and then thrown in Remus’ cage. “Have fun with her,” one called out. Remus quickly knelt beside Tonks, trying to help her as best as he could.

Hermione frowned. “Poor Tonks.” She shifted closer to Severus as she sat on his lap. She felt very close to tears. She didn’t want to cry though as it would expose her weakness.

“Silence,” Voldemort’s booming voice echoed throughout the Great Hall. Everyone quickly silenced. Hermione and Severus both sat up straighter to listen to the news. Voldemort smirked. “I have a splendid announcement.” He motioned towards Draco and Ginny who were flanking him. “We will soon have a wedding. Arrangements have been made, and Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley are engaged.” There were cheers at the news since both were purebloods. “I imagine that we will soon have new little Death Eaters to bring forth into our magnificent future!” More cheers filled the room. Both Draco and Ginny did not seem overly thrilled with the wedding. “Let the celebration continue!”

The cheering continued as the enchanted ceiling revealed the full moon from behind the clouds. Hermione gasped as she knew what would happen. Severus stood up quickly, almost knocking her down as he knew too. A loud howl filled the room, causing the roar of the crowd to deaden. The werewolf was standing over Tonks’ limp body. He sniffed at her as all traces of the man were gone. A slight movement caused her fingers to twitch. The werewolf snapped his jaws, catching a bit of her flesh. The creature lifted its head and howled again.

“No!” Hermione screamed from pure instinct. The scream was quickly cut off by Severus’ hand as he dragged her out of the Great Hall. The last thing she saw and heard were Death Eaters casting various spells at Remus and his yelps of pain.

Severus quickly took her back to his room. Once they entered, he undid the chains on her wrists. “You should not try to bring attention to yourself like that.” He was not pleased that she had screamed. If there was not the distraction with Lupin, then all might have been lost.

She just stood there as she absentmindedly rubbed her wrists. “Tonks will be a werewolf now.” She felt so distraught. She knew that Remus would never forgive himself, even though it wasn’t his fault.

“Yes, she will be,” he stated as he went over and handed her a nightgown that he had gotten from Ginny. “You should change for bed.”

She looked at the nightgown and then at him. A few tears were streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to ask him how people could be so evil, but she couldn’t form the words. She slowly shook her head and took the nightgown. She clutched it to her chest as she went into the bathroom, where she broke down and wept. She grieved for Harry, Hagrid, Dumbledore, all that were killed in this war, Remus, Tonks, Ginny, all that were still out there and suffering from this war, and, lastly, herself. She didn’t realize that she had been in there for almost an hour or that she had actually changed into the nightgown until she heard a soft knock on the door. She sniffled. “Just a minute,” she said. She blew her nose and washed the tears from her face before opening the door. She went to the bed and sat down, glancing over to Severus.

He was watching her. “Are you okay, Hermione?” he asked. There was a genuinely concerned look on his face.

She was surprised by the concern there, although she quickly chided herself about it. She shouldn’t have been surprised. If he didn’t care at least a little about her well-being, then he would never have brought her here under the best intentions. “I’ll be fine,” she said, giving him a faint smile. She moved and snuggled down under the covers.

He gave a curt nod. “Sleep well, then.” He stood up and went into the bathroom where he changed into some black pajama pants and a white t-shirt. It was more comfortable attire, especially since he was sleeping in the chair. He came back out and snatched a pillow from the bed; then he tried to make himself as comfortable as he could in the chair.

She was half-asleep when she heard him come back into the room. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw him trying to arrange his tall frame into a comfortable position on the chair. She sighed and sat up. “Come over here, Severus.”

He stopped fidgeting and glanced over at her. There was a questioning look in his eyes. “Why?”

“You are not going to get a decent rest on that chair,” she chided him in a motherly tone. She moved over on the bed, leaving a space for him. “The bed is big enough, and we are adults. Come over here and sleep.” She saw his hesitation. “I won’t bite. Besides, you are grumpier than normal without some decent rest.” She gave him a wry smile.

There was a hint of a frown when she mentioned his general attitude, but he conceded. He never slept much, but he did miss the comfort of his bed. “Fine,” he stated, making it sound like a chore to share a bed with her. He went over and placed the pillow on the bed. Then, he lay on top of the sheets.

“Will you get cold like that?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the ceiling.

“Well, if you get cold, get a blanket.” She turned over on her side away from him and closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

An inaudible sigh fell from his lips as he glanced over at her. There was a hint of irony that she was the first woman in his bed in a long time. For many years, he could not stand the know-it-all or her friends, but he knew that he had misjudged her a little bit. He also would go as far to admit that he wished that Potter hadn’t died. He thought for a while before sweet sleep fell over him as the bushy- haired young woman shifted and rested her head against his shoulder.


A/N: Please review!