Bloodbound

Wrath

I still don't own anything, and once again, Thanks to L'Vanna for helping me with this chapter!

Hermione awoke the next morning to find the bed empty. She looked at the clock Severus kept above the wardrobe. It was seven thirty. Thinking he must have already dressed and gone up to breakfast, Hermione climbed out of bed and quickly dressed. She walked up to the Great Hall and hesitated. She knew that she would meet the stares of absolutely everyone there. “Well,” she thought to herself. “It is still quite early, perhaps there won’t be many students in there,” she told herself firmly as she opened the door.

It seemed as though everyone and their cousin were in there Great Hall. Hermione glanced up at the staff table, looking for her husband. He sat in his usual place, looking dour as ever. Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor table, feeling as if every eye were on her. Hermione heard countless whispers, but none were audible to her. She’d assumed everyone was remembering Snape’s outburst from the previous day, and were all fearing his fierce tongue too much to say anything where she could hear it.

Hermione took her usual place between Harry and Ron, who could not even look at her. She did not blame him in the slightest. Not only was he now probably even more terrified of Snape, but he had more than likely had to endure his classmates’ brutal teasing. Hermione looked away and saw Lavender leering at her.

“What’s the problem, Snapette? One wizard not enough for you?” she asked her vindictively.

Hermione merely looked away, not wanting to start a row. Neither Harry nor Ron said a word to her as she ate in silence. She finished her breakfast in record time and prepared to go to the nursery where Sarah was.

After Hermione had fed Sarah, it was time for her morning potions class. Hermione wished more than anything she could skive off, but she knew it was certainly not an option. Severus had beaten her for interrupting him; she could not imagine what the consequences for skipping his class might be.

Hermione pushed the thought from her mind and descended the stairs to the dreary dungeons for the first class of the day.

When she looked in the classroom, Snape was nowhere in sight. Lavender must have noticed too, because she took the opportunity to come over and badger Hermione some more.

“Look everyone, it’s Snapette. Probably just come from snogging the Quidditch team,” she said, eliciting laughter from the other students.

“Miss Brown,” Snape said, lips pursed as he entered the room. “Do not ever again besmirch the dignified name of Snape unless you would like a month’s detention, and do not disrespect me by throwing wild accusations of infidelity at my wife.”

Lavender shrunk back from him, cowering slightly in fear. “Y-yes sir,” she said softly. Hermione smirked at her.

“Ms. Snape I would like to speak to you after class,” Severus said icily. Hermione nodded and took her seat, wondering what he wanted and why he had referred to her as “Ms. Snape.”

Potions class went by uneventful and Hermione’s stomach lurched when her husband dismissed the class. She crept up to his desk, and he did not look at her as he shuffled papers. He made to leave, and Hermione knew to follow him. He led her to their chambers, and Hermione’s stomach did flips when he closed and locked the door with a wave of his wand.

“It is a great privilege to bear the name Snape, and I am disappointed that twice today you did absolutely nothing to defend it. Remove your robes and get on the chair,” he said firmly, gesturing to the Discipline Chair. Hermione could not believe her ears, and for the first time in weeks, she lost her temper.

“Are you serious? You are going to punish me for silence?? The very thing you implored most of me for eight weeks at the manor? This is just absolutely ridiculous! You are angry, but not at me, and yet you are taking it out on me! Last night you held me and told me you loved me and today you are whipping me??”

“Not yet, I’m not,” Snape growled as he used his wand to force Hermione onto the chair. He removed her clothes with another flick and summoned his cat o’ nine tails. Who did she think she was? He was absolutely livid and he began to strike Hermione’s back with excessive force. Hermione screamed out as the leather whips sliced into her back. Severus hit her repeatedly until her back bled and she was crying hysterically. He waved his wand, replacing her clothes and released her from the chair.

“Get out of here now!!” he barked. “I will not tolerate this sort of disrespect! I am your husband and you will submit to me without question! I cannot even look at you right now!!” he bellowed. Hermione ran from the dungeons and was heading for the Gryffindor common room when everything went dark.

When Hermione awoke, she saw that she was in the hospital wing. Poppy Pomfrey scuttled over to her and took her hand.

“Are you alright dear, what happened? Did Severus do this to you?” Hermione’s head ached at the magnitude of questions as she tried to remember what happened.

“I was to be punished, and I defied him. That was a mistake, apparently,” Hermione whispered. Madam Pomfrey muttered something Hermione couldn’t hear and left the room in a flash of robes. Moments later, she returned with Professor McGonagall.

“Hermione, dear? Severus did this to you?” McGonagall asked incredulously.

Hermione nodded tearfully.

“We must put an end to this and right now,” she squeaked. “I told Albus this was a bad idea, but he did not listen to me. I sent him a letter right after you were to be contracted I-“

“Professor, please. I love him,” Hermione said quietly.

“That may be, dear, but we can’t have him beating you to death either! He will kill you if he beats you like this again,” she said, anger apparent in her eyes. McGonagall left the room in a huff, likely to find Dumbledore, Hermione thought. Madam Pomfrey began to apply a salve to Hermione’s back. She had healed the lacerations, but the sites were still very sore. After the nurse finished, Hermione leaned back on the bed and wondered where Severus was. She tried to enter his mind, but he was practicing Occlumency against her.