In an Alternate Universe

Chapter 25 ~ Severus Returns (Short Chapter)

Severus returned to the Potions mistress’ rooms an hour and a half later, a broad smile on his face. He had started the brewing. He needed to study and planned to persuade Hermione to let him use her study, because it was brighter in there.

Or something. He'd figure it out.

The moment the wall slid up, he saw something was wrong. Both armchairs were tipped over, the small table between them smashed, parchments, quills and bottles of ink were scattered all over.

”Professor! Professor!” the young wizard cried, running into the study and looking around frantically.

”Professor Granger!” he yelled, running into the bedroom.

He stopped just inside the door, horrified by the sight that met him. The bedroom was also in a shambles, the wardrobe overturned, the mirror over the dresser broken, the night stand lying against the far wall. But that wasn’t the most terrible sight that greeted him.

Hermione lay in the bed nude, her body black and blue, covered in scratches and what looked like bites. Her thighs lay gapped, wet and bruised and the young wizard could scent sex in the air. Her clothing lay ripped and torn on the floor beside the bed.

Severus ran over to her, staring down at her swollen face, the dried blood encrusted in her hair, his heart pounding as he stared at her, afraid to touch her, his black eyes taking in her sad condition. It didn’t look as if she were breathing. Oh gods.

”Professor,” he said brokenly, believing her to be dead. She was so still. His eyes welled up.

”Oh gods, who did this to you?” he said softly, “who would do this to anyone?”

Suddenly, Hermione groaned and shifted. Severus dropped to his knees on the side of the bed as she partially opened her swollen eyes. They were glazed with pain as they shifted towards him. Her mouth moved.

Thank Merlin she wasn’t dead. Severus felt he could breathe again, at least a little.

The young wizard folded part of the rumpled sheet over her battered body and leaned toward her.

”Professor, I’m going to go get help,” he said to her softly.

Hermione’s swollen lips moved. She said something, but he couldn’t hear her, but her lips were flecked with blood.

He leaned closer.

”No,” Hermione whispered, “Healing . . . Pain potion.”

”But . . . but there’s no way a simple Healing potion can take care of this, Professor. I need to get Poppy and Dumbledore!” Severus said desperately.

“Get . . . me . . . blasted . . . idiot,” she gasped, her pain-filled eyes angry now. He had to listen to her. She knew what she needed.

“All right. I’ll get them,” Severus said, “Wait here.”

Even through her agony, Hermione let out a snort as Severus sprinted out of the bedroom. Where the hell was she going to go?

She lay there aching, not knowing who did this to her, but every orifice burned. She stunk of sex and could taste semen in her mouth. She’d been raped, then most likely obliviated. If Severus went for help, then he would be the prime suspect. She didn’t believe him capable of such an act, not when he worked so hard at trying to seduce her.

On the floor lay the black and blue rose, still in the flush of life despite being without water, no sign of blight on its petals.

She needed to get to Spinners End. There she had stronger brews to heal herself. After she recovered, she’d set about trying to find out who did this to her. She didn’t want anyone to know what happened. It would just add more difficulty to her life.

Severus came in with an armload of potions. Not only Healing and Pain potions, but Pepper-Up and Stamina potions as well. He put them on the nightstand, then gently slid into the bed, lifting Hermione partially up and resting her against him, his eyes drifting over her bruises, a murderous feeling swelling inside him.

He’d kill whoever did this to her.

He carefully uncapped one of the Pain potions and slowly fed it to her, tilting the bottle carefully against her bruised lips. Hermione let out a sigh.

”Another,” she whispered, and Severus obliged her. Then he fed her the Healing potions, followed by the Stamina potions and a few sips of Pepper-up.

Hermione now sat on the edge of the bed, the sheets gathered around her body, bite marks on her shoulders.

”I need to report what happened,” Severus said quietly, “there has to be an investigation.”

”You’ll be the one investigated,” she said weakly, turning her swollen face toward him. “We need to go to Spinner’s End. I have stronger brews there, brews I took when I served the Dark Lord and returned broken and tortured. I’ve been through this before, Severus. Worse than this. Go find my wand. I need it to Apparate.”

Severus looked at her with raised brows.

Did she say Apparate? No one was supposed to be able to Apparate on the grounds of Hogwarts. But Albus had arranged for Hermione to do so, because of the dismal condition she would be in most of the time when she returned from Voldemort. She kept the ability a secret. She wouldn’t have revealed it to the Gryffindor if she didn’t have to.

Severus hurried back into the study and found her wand on the floor near her desk and returned it to her. Then he took off his robes and helped her up, his black eyes both tender and angry as he gently placed them over her shoulders, buttoning them.

As he did so, he noticed a hank of hair on the bed. It was long and blonde. As Hermione finished buttoning the robes, he discreetly grabbed the hair and pocketed it. It had to belong to whoever had done this to her. He knew several spells that could reveal who the hair belonged to . . . and when he found out . . .

The wizard felt hot, searing hatred boil over him.

Someone was going to die.

”Hold on to me,” Hermione suddenly breathed.

Severus suddenly started, then took hold of her arm gently. Very gently.

With a crack of thunder, they Disapparated

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A/N: A short chapter. It’s a madhouse around here right now. Thanks for reading.