Save Me From My Pain

Chapter Eight: Letters and Other Stuff

Hermione was sitting at her table, eating her lunch that afternoon when the same owl flew through her open window and landed on the table next to her plate. It held out its leg to her and she relieved it of its burden. She gave the owl some of the crust from her sandwich and expected it to fly back out the window. It didn’t, instead it perched itself on her windowsill, apparently waiting patiently for her to read and respond to the note. Hermione put her sandwich down and opened the letter.


Miss Granger,
I noticed that you didn’t take long to respond. Of course, that’s much like you: punctual. Despite myself, I am concerned about you. I don’t know what you think you did to deserve to be raped and tortured, but trust me, I know from past experience that no one deserves that kind of life. Life in which is is tortured and raped is not much of a life at all. I would like to do everything in power to free you from this “pain of servitude” if you’ll only allow me. Hermione, all I ask is that you take some time to think about it. How many times has he raped you? How many times has he used Crucio on you? How long has he been harassing you? Just think about it. I’d hate to see such a mind go to waste because some egotistical jerk wants to have some fun with you.
A Concerned Stranger


Hermione got up and went into her office, tears in her eyes, but as stubborn as ever. She gathered her ink, quill, and parchment and went back to her dining room. She sat down and began writing a reply.


Stranger,
Again, I thank you for your concern, but I don’t need it. This has been going on for about a month now, and I haven’t told anyone about it, and I don’t intend to. As I’ve already said, I deserve what I’m getting and nothing you say will change the facts. Please just let it go and forget you ever found me last night.
H. Granger


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Severus was sitting in the Great Hall eating a light lunch and only half listening to the conversations around him. His thoughts were elsewhere though. He’d thought of nothing but Hermione Granger since he was walking down to her home not even 24 hours ago. The image of her naked body, shivering from the cold and shaking from the after effects of the Cruciatus curse, shimmering with her cold sweat was etched in his mind.

The girl had always been a pain to him, mainly because she was Potter’s best friend, but also because of her know-it-all attitude in her first few years of school. He did, however, notice when her attitude changed from a know-it-all to one thirsting for knowledge without making a spectacle of herself. He also noticed how much she’d changed physically in her latter years at Hogwarts. He would not deny to himself that she was beautiful, but he’d always forced himself to ignore that and worry about the war and teaching the dunderheads who could care less.

A sharp peck on his hand brought him out of his reverie. He looked up to see his owitiniting for him to take his letter. He did so and told the owl he’d respond later. As his owl flew off, Severus excused himself from the table and went to his personal quarters. He sat down at his desk in his study and opened her letter. After reading the short note, he picked up parchment, ink, and quill and began writing back to her.


Miss Granger,
I understand that you feel like you don’t deserve help in this. Let me tell you one of my experiences that will hopefully show you why you don’t deserve what he’s doing to you. I was once a Death Eater, one of Voldemort’s most faithful. Before I turned my loyalties over to the right side, I participated in the most horrendous activities, you could not even begin to imagine some of the things I’ve done. One night when Voldemort called his most faithful to him, before his first fall, he asked me to come forward. I did and my master rewarded me. He rewarded me with a woman, the woman who killed my parents in a battle between the Aurors and Death Eaters. When I saw her, I was angrier than I’d been since she killed them, and I wanted to torture her. I took her and went to one of the dungeon rooms in Voldemorts hideout. There, I proceeded to viciously rape her; sometimes I did it while she was under the Cruciatus, sometimes I did it where she was fully aware. Close to the end of the night, I saw her will leaving her, she was on her knees in front of me, begging me to forgive her and give her death or give her freedom of a true life. I did neither, instead I gave her a long dose of Crucio. When I removed the curse, she was in much the same case as the Longbottom’s. When I looked into her eyes after removing the curse, I saw what I had done to an amazing mind and talent. I killed that woman, even though she was still breathing. Even though she did something so horrible as killing my parents, she did not deserve what I did to her. She deserved to live because she rid the world of two Death Eaters, though I did not see it that way at the time. After I did that to her, after seeing the look in her eyes, I turned my back on Voldemort and tried to make up for what I’d done. I regret what I did to her, and many others, but I cannot change my past. I feel that it would help me to pay for those mistakes by helping you from the fate that woman faced. Please Hermione, allow me to help you.
A Stranger Who Needs to Help >
>

Just as Severus sent the owl off with his letter, Albus’ head popped into the fire.

“Severus, dear boy, how are you?”

“Is there something I can help you with Albus?”

“Yes, I was just wondering if you found out about Hermione?”

“She was not there when I arrived.”

“Well, can you please check again? I would be much more comfortable knowing she was all right.”

“Of course Albus.”

Albus’ head left the flames and Severus put his cloak on and made his way out of the castle. When he reached the gates, he apparated to Hermione’s small home. He stood outside of her door for a moment before knocking.

A few moments later the door opened. A very pale Hermione stood before him, tears running down her cheeks, with his letter clutched in her hand.

“Miss Granger, the Headmaster has asked me to come and see if you were home and all right, and as you are standing before me, perfectly fine, I will leave now.” He turned to go.

“Wait.” Hermione said quietly. “Please come inside.”

Hermione hthe the door open for him and he hesitantly walked through. She walked to her sitting room and offered him a seat, which he hesitantly took. Her tears had stopped and she looked at him for a few minutes before speaking.

“Why did you tell me?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I know it was you who helped me last night, why did you tell me about that woman?”

“Miss Granger, I - ”

“Why do you care what happens to!” H!” Her tears returned. “Why couldn’t you have just left it alone?!”

Severus stood up and pointed a finger at her.

“Because you are brilliant Hermione! Because you have potential! Because no matter what you did, no one deserves what I did to that woman!”

This shut Hermione up, but she was crying desperately. She pulled her knees up to her chest in her chair. Severus sat back down.

“Let me help you Hermione.”

“There’s nothing you can do to help me.”

“There’s always a way. Who is it?”

“You wouldn’t believe me. I’ll be right back.”

Hermione got up and went to her kitchen to get some tea. She came back in and that’s when Severus noticed.

“Malfoy. Draco’s alive?”

Hermione almost dropped her tray of tea. She went even paler and wide-eyed.

“How did you - ”

“How did I know? The necklace Hermione.” Hermione set the tray on the coffee table and fingered the necklace around her neck. “Would you like to know a little bit about that necklace?”

Hermione nodded and sat back down in her chair, curling her legs under her.

“That necklace is something of a Malfoy family heirloom. Lucius had it. When he and Narcissa married, he put it on her and didn’t take it off until he could trust her. When Draco turned of age, Lucius handed it down to him, telling him to use it well. Apparently, according to their sick standards, he is taking Lucius’ advice.”

“So then you also know that there is no way I can take it off? That Draco is the only one who can take it off. I am stuck in this, so why don’t you just let it go!”

“Because I can’t let it go! Not now, knowing what I do. You need my help Hermione, because I am the only one that can help you! Trust me, I can and I will help you.”

“And just how do you think you can help me?!”

“It just so happens that the necklace around your neck works as a special kind of portkey. It only goes to one place and I happen to know where that is.”

Hermione gazed into his eyes incredulously. His eyes were truthful and she almost felt like she could trust him.

“He’ll kill me.” She whispered, not looking at Severus.

“Not if I can help it.”

She looked up at him. “Please stay out of this. I’ve told you before that I deserve this. Besides, he probably knows that you know and he’s going to punish me for it. You’re making things worse. Please leave now.”

“I will go for now, but I will not leave this alone. I’ll be damned if you turn out like that woman whose life I stole.”

“My life is no longer my own. Leave.”

“He stole your soul when he stole your virginity,” Severus quoted from her poem. “You are a strong person Hermione. If anyone can get through this, it’s you.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Damn it Hermione! You killed Narcissa out of self-defense! It wasn’t your fault. Had you not taken aim on Lucius, he would have killed Weasley. Don’t you understand that?”

“I killed his mother Severus Snape, there is no excuse for that!”

“Would you have rather have watched your best friend fall at the hands of Lucius Malfoy?”

Hermione could not look at him. “Leave.” She said, her voice wavering a bit.

Severus left her house, after putting a charm on it to notify him of anyone entering or leaving her home, feeling angry, not at her, but at Draco Malfoy for doing this to her. She was strong, she seemed to be physically recovered, but Draco has left an emotion scar that will take her years to recover, if it doesn’t steal away her life instead. He wasn’t surprised that she’d figured out it was him by his last letter. The fact that she wanted to talk to him assured him that there is a battle going on in her soul between what she knows she needs to do and the part of her that wants to give up and give in to Draco. Severus apparated to the school gates and walked up to the school. When he entered the entrance hall, Albus Dumbledore greeted him.

“Back so soon Severus? How is Miss Granger?” Severus saw that he had his legendary twinkle in his eyes that he loathed.

“Miss Granger seemed to be fine. She was unexpectedly called to other business last night. If you want to know what it is, I suggest you ask her yourself. Good day Albus.” Severus gave him a slight nod and walked down to his dungeons, robes billowing out behind him.