Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

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
- 97
- 98
- 99
The train rocked steadily, lulling Hermione into a state of stupor. She tried to focus on the nature that zoomed against the window. A huge ball of emptiness and the feeling like something heavy was pressing her chest didn’t left her no matter what she did to distract herself. In the end, she surrendered to it, hoping that it will pass with time, but with each cling-cling of the tracks, the emptiness grew bigger.
The only sliver of peace she found was in the growing awareness of the link she shared with Severus. With each landmark the train passed she became more and more aware of it, she could tap into his feelings, even get the glimpses of images if he focused on something hard enough. Too bad he only focused intensely on annoyance with something Draco did or rather didn’t do to Severus’ satisfaction.
Hermione realised that this year will be hard and difficult, not because she couldn’t fit in or return to learning mode, but because she will have to learn not to focus on this newly gained insight.
Apparating should prove interesting in this mind-frame.
The door of the compartment slid open and Luna strolled in, looking more like she was moonwalking than anything else. Luna had her eyes locked on some papers, Hermione watched the girl sit not even raising her eyes or muttering the words of greeting.
Is she in this compartment by accident?
Luna tilted her head up and gazed at her briefly, a small smile dancing on her lips. “I’m sorry Hermione, I have to review these articles for the latest edition. You won’t mind if we don’t talk?”
“No, go ahead, I’m not in the talking mood.” she forced her face to rearrange into a smile.
Luna just widened her smile, hummed and returned to her papers, Hermione returned to staring through the window, hoping that this feeling would go away or at least dim a bit.

“Nice to see ya, ‘Ermione.” Hagrid greeted her with a big grin and a bear hug. “How are ya? How’s the Prefessor? You have to visit me for a tea and a talk. “
“Nice to see you, Hagrid. And I’ll come to the tea first chance I get.” she smiled at him. Hagrid just nodded and lumbered away calling for first-years together up and follow him.
Luna pulled her sleeve. “Hermione, we may sit in this carriage.”
She followed Luna absentmindedly, the long lines of carriages with patiently waiting Thestrals stretched seemingly indefinitely.
“Luna…” she started but stopped, her thoughts were more jumbled than usual.
“Hm?” Luna looked at her.
“Do you think that everyone can see them?
“See what?” Luna blinked at her.
“Thestrals?” she explained, shivering at the memory of her flight on the at the time still invisible breast.
“I hope not, but most can now - I think.” Luna’s voice sounded sad. “Too bad, Hogwarts lost some it’s magic with that.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, I always knew they were there, but no one else did. It was fun to listen students wonder how carriage is moving on its own.”
“I guess you’re right.” she sighed.
The carriage tugged and Hermione closed her eyes, she wasn’t ready to face the familiar sights again. The pressure in her chest was now enriched with a tight squeeze.
Will I ever be ready? Will I ever again be able to see the beauty of Hogwarts, without the memories of death and destruction? Clenching her hands tightly she focused on her breathing. If you could live in the Manor, you can live in Hogwarts as well.

Hogwarts looked the same as she remembered him from her first year, with the addition of one new tower looming over the lake that glistened on the pale moonlight. Inside it appeared as nothing happened, nothing changed, well - mostly. In the Great Hall, Luna pulled her to a fifth table, much smaller in size, it still couldn’t accommodate more than a dozen people, and that table looked sorrowfully empty.
By the time the Sorting started, beside her and Luna, only seven more students joined at their table - one Ravenclaw that Hermione remembered vaguely, two Hufflepuffs and four Slytherins.
Hermione couldn’t focus on Sorting, the sound of a heartbeat in her ears loud, she could feel the pulse under her tongue that was somehow too dry and tick in her mouth. Her pams kept getting slippery and sweaty no matter how many times she tried to dry them, swiping them over her things. Chatter and noise in the hall, the normal and expected noise set her in a state of high alert.
She closed her eyes to escape images of the last battle and gathering in this same place afterwards. They pressed even harder, burning behind her closed eyelids. With a shrudery breath, she opened them again, sadness lingering around her like fog.
Hermione could feel the eyes of other students, not on her but on their table, she couldn’t sense any danger but she also couldn’t resist checking on her wand every few moments.
“We have a table here, but we are in obligation to eat here only during the official events, Headmistress told me that we will have a small dining area in our wing,” Luna mumbled between two spoonfuls of pudding.
“That is all nice, Luna, but I’m not a Ravenclaw,” she replied bitterly, wishing that she is Ravenclaw at this moment.
“All returnees are placed in a separate tower, the new one over the Lake. We are not part of the House system anymore.” Luna sighed with satisfaction.

Hermione glanced around the room, one single four poster bed, one chest of drawers and one writing table with an empty bookshelf. The room had a small adjoined en-suite.
The pain in her palms reminded her that she is clenching her fists.
Alone--
Hermione couldn’t remember when was the last time she slept alone in the room - when was the last time she was alone - truly alone. The prospect of having her own room didn’t make her feel good or special, she flexed her fists again.
I guess the bluebell flames will do the trick.
~ S ~ S ~ S ~
Draco leaned on the wall and released a puff of air, he felt like he was digging the whole day. Not that he knew how would it look like if he was digging, but that was an expression that Granger used and he felt that it is appropriate to his state.
His muscles screamed in pain from exercises. He had to work actively with Severus, not to mention to force Severus into doing his exercises from time to time. He expected that Severus would be more inclined to get better now that Granger wasn’t around, he was mistaken.
Never before he realised how much work was around Severus, not to mention the man’s mood. Either Granger had some sort of spell to deal with Severus’ moods or infinite patience and nerves of steel. He was ready to jump out of his skin after only few days.
The first two days were no indication for what followed, Severus was more or less compliant if not pleasant. But on the third day all his hopes that he’ll have an easy task shattered. Draco did expect some struggle, what he couldn’t imagine was to be treated worse than Misty.
Snape apparently didn’t appreciate the relative freedom from chatting and being pestered by Granger. At least not enough to spare Draco off his moodiness.
I hope you are having equally lousy time Granger.
Pushing off the wall he continued towards the library, he managed to hassle Misty into sitting with Severus while he went to look for some books in the library. It was excuse as good as any. From the side corridor he could hear the voices, he tilted his head in that direction, his ear twitching.
Making a quick decision, Draco rushed as quietly as he could. The male and female voice came from his father’s workroom and private library. He knew who the woman is, well he knew her voice - and it would be advantageous to know if they planned something while Granger was in school. He sneaked to the door and pulled the extendable ear from his pocket, he found it earlier that day in the bathroom and forgot to take it out of the pocket - now it came handy.
“...explain to me?” female’s voice sounded angry.
“I have nothing to explain to you.” hissed his father.
“You allowed the girl to leave.”
“She didn’t leave, she went for school and with the deepest regret I have to say - she'll be back here once her schooling is over. I can’t say I feel sad for having my home Mudblood free.”
“If you transferred them to the Estate as I asked of you--”
“Severus would be dead and Malfoy debt wouldn’t be repaid.”
“You think so little of me if you think that I would allow him to die.” woman’s voice sounded offended.
“And what would you do to make him turn to the girl?”
“You said yourself, you found her in his bed, next to him on more than one occasion--”
“Yes, sleeping on the covers like a dog. Do not worry yourself and stop pestering me, she will return.” His father sounded angry and tired.
“You can’t be sure--”
“Yes, I can. The girl fancies him, she will return. This may be a good thing after all.”
“How can you be so sure of it?”
“I am not blind, anyone with a bit of experience would notice. I was wrong, however, there is one family trait Severus did inherit - stubbornness, the wrong kind of it. He is as stubborn as you are, if not more so. Yes, I could have moved them to the Estate, I could have sealed them in the bloody house like in a tomb - and it would accomplish nothing.” Lucius’ voice vibrated with anger.
“My influence there is stronger.” the woman repeated with determination. “I would---”
“What? Prevent him from killing himself? Push him deeper into that self-destructive state he’s in? Charm him into fancying the girl? And how long that would last?”
“My line, Malfoy. Your debt will be repaid after he continues my line. No one asked of you to get so emotionally involved, just to prepare him and to match him up with--”
“I did what I had to do, woman. I kept him alive! Did you stop for a moment to think where your precious line would be if I didn’t do what I did? Did you ever stop to think that Voldemort’s test didn’t have much with loyalty?”
“Meaning?”
“He had to be a recognized member of the pureblood family in order to be marked.” sneered Lucius. “I did everything-everything in my power to keep him alive. And yes - I do consider him my friend, more than that he is my brother. And I will die before allowing any of mine to die needlessly, and that includes Severus.”
“You told me that the girl is what stands between him and his untimely death, and yet you let her leave.” accused woman.
“I tell you again, Estelle, the girl going to school may be a good thing.” sighed Lucius.
“I don’t see how--”
“Your grandson thought the girl for six bloody years, he thinks about himself as her teacher. Now tell me, how he would react if I go to him and tell him that we did the test and choose the potential breeding mare for him? Or better yet, that his student is a said mare?”
“It is his duty--”
“Duty to whom? The Prince family? The family that disowned his mother, never recognised him?” mocked Lucius. “The family--”
Draco widened his eyes, his brain working fast, he had a need to bang his head at the wall. Of course, fresh blood - a new blood in the family line. Idiot, I was such an idiot. Estelle Prince, Severus’s grandmother, father has her portrait in his study room.
Unintentionally, he placed his father in an awkward position with his meddling. His father stopped with his hissing and he focused on the conversation in the room.
“He accepted the name, with it he accepted his duty.”
“I tricked him into accepting the Prince name, you daft biddy!” roared Lucius.
Draco blinked, he never heard his father use this tone of voice or these expressions.
“Fine, let us say that you are correct, just for the argument's sake.” huffed Estelle with a note of indignation in her voice. “How you plan on directing him towards the girl if she’s not here?”
“I won’t.” replied Lucius smugly.
“Lucius Malfoy--”
“Oh, just stop yapping. I’ll keep introducing him to the ladies I know he won’t like, and let him - discover, shall we say - what a gem little Mudblood is.”
“And is she?” asked Estelle.
“Is she - what?”
“Such a gem to rise above all those - ladies?”
“Oh, she is. She may be a Mudblood, but she is highly intelligent and talented witch with strong magic. Maybe too opinionated and headstrong for my taste, but it would serve her well with Severus. She is fairly easy on the eye if she put a bit of effort to look remotely human.”
“Sounds like a handful.” Estell sounded pleased and disgruntled at the same time.
“Oh, I assure you - she is.” groused Lucius. “Narcissa took on herself to educate the girl, prepare her for her role.”
“Are you sure that there is no other?” Estelle didn’t sound too thrilled with what she heard.
“She is a 98% match, next good match is on 43% - and nothing in between.”
“Very well, do what you think is the best, but get it done.” hissed Estelle.
Draco pulled back the extendable ear and hastily retreated to the Library. He honestly wanted to kick himself.
- 97
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- 99
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Torment *Completed*

Torment Completed