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Torment Completed	By : Kvarta Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 31713 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, no money is being made from it.

Chapter List
- 59
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- 61
A/N: I did my best to fix this chapter as soon as possible. Next one will take a day or two :)
To avoid further confusion:
Italic - Past, memories
‘Single quotation mark’ - inner monologue, thoughts
“double quotation mark” - actual speech
The tremors run down his spine but he ignored them. His voice sounded almost like a stranger's voice while he was giving the report from the last meeting with the Dark Lord. His worries growing each day, and he knew that soon he will have to make the unfavourable decision. The one that will cost him dearly.
The pain hit him hard and the words died on his lips. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep the painful yelp at bay, feeling the taste of copper dribble down his throat. He did, however, release a muffled groan when his knees collided with cold stone.
Albus turned to him, a faint glimmer of worry in his eyes. He approached him and leaned over
“Cruciatus, Severus?”
He just nodded, not trusting his own voice. His hands were feeble support at the moment, but he gave his best not to appear too weak in front of Albus. The pain rippled through his body and he was breathing through his nose. Deep measured breaths. He knew what he had to do, but it was still hard to go through the motions when every nerve in his body screamed in agony. The thin coat of chill sweat clung to his skin. Eventually, the pain and the tremors ebbed away and he took one shuddery breath, sitting on his heels. Albus handed him the glass of water and he took it without question. He would drink the poison at the moment if it would clear the dusty feeling in his throat.
“He is still angry at me.” He croaked “It will take time before I convince him in my… devotion to him… yet again.”
“Whatever it takes, Severus. It is an impediment that you do this. But, for now, rest. We will repeat your report to me, once you are feeling better. And I’ll call up the Order meeting for this evening, it should give you enough time to recuperate.”
He just nodded, but he knew that he has to warn Albus. He won’t be doing ‘whatever it takes’, not this time. Fourteen years of nightmares thought him a valuable lesson – he lost his taste for blood long ago.
“I won’t accept to resume all my duties I once held, Albus.”
“Severus, I don’t think you understand…”
“I do understand Old Man.” He growled at Albus “But I won’t willingly hurt anyone. Not anymore. There is enough blood on my hands as it is.”
“He might get suspicious…”
“Let me worry about his suspicion. I will find a way, and I will see this through to the end. But then… I want you to grant me my wish.”
“I rather thought that once you are free you would try to find joy in life.” Albus sounded reproachful
“I will be free to walk away, Albus. Once this is over. If I don’t end up in Azkaban, I will walk away.” Even with a tremor of pain, his voice reflected his determination.
He did want to walk away, far away. Enough away that no one could find him and stop him. And then, he will end it all.
“Once we defeat Tom, Severus, you may have whatever you want. And as for now, I have enough faith in you.” Said Albus mildly and offered him a supporting hand which he accepted. “Let us go one more time through your report, you have to have a memory to show him. I trust that by now you know what to do, and what not to mention tonight in the meeting.”
He nodded tersely. He never agreed with Albus’s tactics of compartmentalising information. It made him weary and paranoid, wondering what he didn’t know in return. And how fast that ignorance would kill him in the end. Not that he wanted to live, but he did hope that he would be recognized for his efforts – while he was still alive.
~ S ~ S ~ S ~
The sound of breathing was loud in the ears. Her cheek burned when twig hit her across the face. A mad dash through the forest was futile, but they had to give it a try at least. She turned and cast another stinging hex at Harry’s face. Ron’s and her glamours will fade away fast, but Harry’s face will stay disfigured for the much longer period. And no ‘Finite Incantatem’ would change it. It had to be enough for them, for now.
He lungs burned from lack of oxygen. Her throat constricted by fear. She tried to push it all down and think. Shouts echoed all around her. She glanced and saw Ron stumbling while trying to run. Harry followed them, turning to glance around.
Hopeless.
It was all hopeless, they will be caught. She had to believe, hope beyond hope, that they will get out of it. She failed them, she lat her own guard down. If she didn’t put perfume, they wouldn’t find them. It was all her fault…
~ S ~ S ~ S ~
“No!” he jerked from the sleep abruptly, covered with sweat. His head reeling. Eyes wide open in terror. “Rooting… Sodding… Bugger me!” he grounded through clenched teeth.
“I would, but I do have a small issue with infidelity. It can be arranged, though, if you set your heart on it.”
Slow, familiar drawl forced him to snap his head towards the window. Lucius was leaning on the window frame. A glimmer of amusement in pale blue eyes.
“By your… selection of… phraseology… I take it that you are not quite satisfied with your little… bed-mate.” Slight note of taunting in the Lucius’s voice
“Lucius…” he managed to squeeze through clenched throat
“Don’t get me wrong. I am glad that you finally took my advice.” Lucius kept his voice lithe. “But, if she isn’t to your satisfaction, we will have to find you more suitable…partner. I do see that you did…tier her.”
“It is not what you think, Lucius.” He growled
He knew that Lucius was mocking him, fully aware that his insinuations were nowhere near the truth. And his friend knew it. Still, his muddled brain didn’t provide him enough to properly fight back. Swirling paranoia, fear and anger didn’t do much to help either. Everything was wrong. Now, they were in more mess than they had to begin with.
He knew that she followed his instruction to the letter, so he couldn’t blame her. The only viable explanation was that they missed something in their calculations. It wasn’t exact science and most of the spells were a combination of trial and error before they were final. He blamed himself for rushing. He only hoped that the girl will wake up. He had too much blood on his hands, too many stains on his soul to add this one as well.
Lucius made a soft laughing noise and he focused his attention back at him. and even if the flicker of amusement stayed on his friends face, the blue eyes hardened, a hint of steel in them. Same steel that reflected in Lucius’s voice
“Ah, but I do know what you did last night. I told you, Severus… I warned you not to do it. I should have known that you won’t listen. That lack of books won’t stop you, either of you.”
“Now is not a good time for one of your self-appraising lectures, Lucius.”
“No? Too bad, you are going to hear one anyway. I do not know what went wrong this time…. But tell me, Severus, do you think I would leave you in that situation if I knew how to dispel it in the first place?”
“No, I know you wouldn’t. I wasn’t aiming my finger at you Lucius” Lucius’s attitude annoyed him. All he needed was the time to think.
“Then why you risked it again? With… her?” Lucius asked with open disdain in his voice, waving his hand at Hermione’s direction.
The girl was curled around his right hand, pressing her cheek in the crook of his elbow. And she probably did that for the better part of the night, he couldn’t feel his fingers. In the normal circumstances, he would be outraged by this if it wasn’t practical in a way. This way he could feel her breathing which gave him at least some comfort. However, he won’t know how wrong things were until she wakes up. If she wakes up. Fear pressed hard on his chest.
“Not with her, Lucius. I had faith in me.” He replied, forcing himself to sound calm bordering on board “She was a tool. Though, I wonder, how useful this tool will be in the future.”
“Same as it was until now, I wager.” Shrugged Lucius lightly “I’ve seen her like this before. She will wake up, in time.”
The wave of release wash over him. Cold sweat chilling his body. He relaxed, glancing at the girl wrapped around his arm. Whatever the consequences were, he will deal with them – somehow.
“Poppy won’t be pleased. Potter either.” Continued Lucius, walking towards the door “Do you want me to call Misty to… relieve you of her presence?”
“No. This way I can react if something goes wrong.” He scoffed, weighing how much this will cost him. Lucius certainly will not this one slide.
“Very well. Enjoy your life-size cuddle doll then. Who knows, maybe you’ll even develop taste for it.” jabbed Lucius closing the door behind him.
That man was infuriating. How in Merlin’s name he always managed to be there at least desirable moment was beyond him.
~ S ~ S ~ S ~
Hermione stirred. The fog of a dream lifting slowly. Her mind attuning to her surroundings. She slept restlessly, but oddly enough she felt safer than she did in a long time.
Nuzzling her cheek at the warm pillow beneath her. The pillow was slightly hairy and for the moment she thought that Cronks sneaked into bed with her. She sighed with satisfaction and hugged tighter.
Something was wrong. Cronks was fluffy and puffed. Whatever her furry companion was, it was thin and sort of… bony, and long. She could feel the bony length all the way to her stomach. She frowned, whatever it was she wasn’t threatened by it, and it was secondary to what she will have to tell Snape.
Her eyes fly open and she faced the rising curve of the comforter. Shifting slightly she brushed her cheek against the pillow. Except, it wasn’t a pillow – it was an arm. Her frown deepened, before she jumped into sitting position, scooting away from the arm and its owner. Her action causing her slight dizziness.
Deep frown and burning anger in his eyes told her that he did notice what she did. Well, at least a part of what she did. Using him as a teddy-bear. She opened her mouth to speak but words stuck in her throat.
“We failed.” He quipped and she nodded. His words were cold and she felt a prickle of failure.
“I… I… yes.” She bowed her head. Suddenly, words broke out of her in a gush “I did what you told me, and I don’t know what I did wrong. But I’ll do my best to fix it. I promise. Trust me I didn’t want to see your memories anymore. No more than you do. I am so sorry!”
She stopped abruptly when his eyes widened, clouding in a smouldering rage. Deep wedge etched between his brows. A growl rumbled from his throat before it formed in just one word
“Bugger.”
- 59
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Torment *Completed*

Torment Completed