Severus looked out through the holes in his mask. All marked death eaters stood around the firelight to bear witness to Voldemort's words of impending victory. His ears had long since turned out to the gaslighting that had felled so many weak minds. Instead, his eyes sought another, looking out through the crowd knowing just how to identify the man.

A small gleam of silver caught the corner of his eye and his head turned just enough to catch the beady eyes through the mask that could not shield him from Severus. He pierced his mind quickly but softly, skimming the top of the disgusting man's thoughts.

His stomach churned when he easily picked apart the man's plan to take her from his care. Though curiously it seemed that he did not plan to take the girl to Voldemort but to another. Unfortunately, before he could dig deeper the crowd shifted and his attention snapped elsewhere.

Severus let out a slow breath as the speech had seemingly come to an end. He was just about to make himself scarce when he felt a small hand take his elbow.

"Severus, a word?" Narcissa had already banished away her mask. Her normally cold and unreadable face lined with worry.

"Of course." Severus would have taken any excuse to leave the event that was about to take place. He just hoped their conversation was quick.

oOOo

Hermione sighed softly in her sleep, another round of potions having sent her into the dark abyss. Her stomach was full and warm only ensuring that the potion would keep her out. It wasn't the natural rest she needed but was desperately required.

The man had left the window at her side partially open, the gentle late summer breeze her lullaby. She hadn't a care in the world. She was gone. Somewhere far away and without pain.

Two eyes peered up from across the street, narrowed and dirty from nights spent in the forest. They watched the house closely, but could not see through the dark dingy windows on the bottom floor. No, they were waiting for another to join them. To fulfill a promise. A soft pop to their right ticked their ear but the large man never spoke, merely jerked his head towards the house. His sneer the only warning.

Wormtail simpered softly but did not hesitate in lowering himself down. He'd barely made it out without being seen. Snape had been watching him closely, it had only been luck that Narcissa had pulled him away after they'd stood and spoken quietly for too long. He knew something was afoot but he couldn't spare the mind to think about it now.

He took the same winding path he'd taken before, the weight of the head snatchers gaze upon his dirty hide. He knew what awaited his failure. He could not allow his lust to cloud his mind again.

oOo

Severus pulled his hand back watching the soft silver light of his promise fade away. Another deed to ensure that his grave would be filled by wars end. His eyes turned towards Narcissa's own before glancing at Bellatrix.

"It is done."

"Excellent isn't it Sissy?" The deranged woman smiled softly coming behind the blonde woman's back to stare into Snape's impassive face, "Now all we have to do is enjoy ourselves."

Severus pursed his lips before watching the helpless mother be guided out of the small parlor they had taken their discussion to. His life just becoming infinitely more complicated.

oOo

Wormtail took a slow deep breath, his nose cradled in the soft hollow of his angel's thin neck. He had tried to resist her but it was impossible. Her sleeping form called out to him, begging to be touched. His hand had already wandered under the blanket, running over the healed skin. He had to thank Snape for bringing her back to life so that he could enjoy her all over again.

With what little restraint remained inside him, he straightened himself looking down through the open window at the shadow watching him. There was no time to waste. It was just as he pulled his hand free that a cold shiver ran down his spine.

Severus was actually seeing red. The entire world tunneled down a single funnel. The spell that passed his lips—designed to tear a man's flesh to pieces— just narrowly missed his target's head, taking large spiraling chunks from the arm that had turned towards him; spraying blood all over the room.

Wormtail cried out, his voice changing as his body shrunk down. The second spell that had been meant to nearly end his life narrowly missing the girl's legs that he'd been beside. The rodent sought its refuge under the man's bed once more only to have it violently exploded away; his bleeding body tumbling through a hole in the floorboards that had been made wider from Snape's spell.

Severus snarled coming to stand at the remains of his floor, looking down through the foot wide hole where his spell had fizzled out. His chest was pulsing with the breaths, his eyes sharp. He hadn't felt such an adrenaline pumping through his veins in such a long time.

He didn't waste time with the stairs, apparating to the first-floor seconds after Pettigrew's rodent body came crashing down onto the coffee table. Another sharp spell instantly forced the vile man to transfigure back into his human self, collapsing the frail table before another spell saw to his immediate capture.

Snape was on him like a starving feral cat. The ropes that bound the whimpering excuse for a humanbeing digging in and cutting deep into Pettigrew's flesh, a growing crimson puddle beneath. Severus put this full weight on to his knee and dug hard into the man's loins before grabbing him about his dirty unwashed collar.

"Where is the other half?" He didn't actually need him to speak, merely needing his mind to spark with the thought. He instantly caught sight of a man who he'd long believed to be dead coming to form in the man's inner eye.

"I'll tell you!"

Severus sneered at the cowardly man, always ready to turncoat to save his worthless life, "You already have."

Wormtail whimpered as the ropes tightened, carving into the bone. His hand flexed slightly pressing into one of the gems on the ring controlling the Duel Dragon. It was just as the world was going dark that his action gave him the escape he needed. Unfortunately, Snape was ready.

"Obliviate."

Snape watched the man's large eyes turn to glass as every and all memory in his mind was quickly wiped away. He couldn't kill him on his own, the silver hand connected his life to Voldemort's. He couldn't be anywhere near when the man took his final breaths, or at least not the cause. Though he wished with all the world that he could.

He leaned down taking the ring from the man's bloody sausage-like fingers, pressing it into his palm tightly. With a harsh push off of the man's loins, he turned his wand again forcing him into his rodent form once more. The feeble creature shuddered with the blood that had already been lost before making a sharp dash between the professor's legs. Severus followed quickly, having left only one thought inside the man's mind. Return to whom who had sent him.

His front door banged open on his command and for a second he saw a familiar face watching from across the dingy street. In the moment of silent communication, the rat darted through into the street, a large truck bearing lumber breaking their connection.

A deep gurgling moan reclaimed Severus' attention and his stomach turned with the sight. Half of Pettigrew's human form laid bleeding out in the street, his organs and bones spilling out onto the dirty cobblestone. The truck that had passed had severed the man in two, washing the magic of his transformation away.

Severus felt no pity for the man's demise, slowly coming down from his stoop to watch the light drain away from his eyes. It was a fitting end, even if it wasn't by his own hand. He watched, vindicated as the man took his last breaths. The steel hand vanishing away.

A snarl curled his lips as he vanished the body from sight, sending it far away to be found. A slow breath left his nose before a sharp cry of pain, up and behind him, rattled his heightened senses. His body didn't move until he was sure he was alone. The dark man whom he'd seen had gone and with him, the other half of the Duel Dragon.

A seething breath drained the adrenaline from his body and he turned back towards his home. A large golden dome falling over the space keeping anything and everything out. One deed was done but there was so much more to be completed.

Suddenly, a sharp, choked, gurgling scream pierced the heavy calmness that had settled over the house. Severus turned sharply towards the stairs, it hadn't been all that loud but it had definitely sounded painful.

By the time he'd made it to his bedroom Hermione's body—that had been arched in pain—collapsed down, her chest heaving, the blankets twisted. Her hand that hung out from the edge of the bed twitched as whatever was happening appeared to be continuing its course.

Severus' eyes instantly snapped between her legs, his gut churning at the dark red spots that were starting to show through the robe from under her legs.

He didn't seek permission for what he was about to do. Ripping away the blanket from her twisted legs, his eyes widened to the blood that poured out of her. The dragon's head was still inside of her, but a small head had worked its way between her outer lips, its sharp teeth having sunken into her pleasure point. He could see an odd green liquid pooling around the bite and it took him only a second to register the sweet smell of the aphrodisiac.

Completely at a loss, he turned his head towards her tense face. Her teeth were bared, her head arched back into the mattress, accenting the rapid pulse in her neck. His heart ground to a stop when her dark blood filled eyes opened connecting with his own, staring sightlessly. The grey iris was split in two, sitting off center of itself. It was more horrifying than he could have ever predicted.

His heart stuttered as her weak frame trembled, her forced release mixing with the blood pooling beneath her hips. A deep rattling breath shook the air before she finally went lax, only her chest sharply falling with shallow breaths. Her head fell to the side, her eyes half open and fixed.

"Miss...Miss... Granger...?" Severus snarled at the weakness in his voice, the ring still tightly clutched in his hand, pulsing. A restraining breath centered his mind and he rose his hand looking down at the bloody ring. He'd been able to read far enough to know that it held the power to control the dual dragon, whether for pleasure or pain.

His eyes turned to her face before back down at the blood that was slowly creeping its way outward. What had the rat done? With only a lingering thought he slipped the ring over his middle finger. The magic inside adjusted to its new owner and the dragon's eyes glowed with recognition.

Severus had read enough and turned the ring so that the blue stone sat on top. Obeying his command to release her, the dragon that had pierced her flesh retreated, leaving a bloody mess in its wake. Grinding his teeth he reached forward with trepidation taking hold of the head that had remained outside of her. He felt the magic therein calling out to him and gave the head a turn.

A small click eased his heart before he started to pull back. He could see the rounded barbs meant to hold it in place retracted under the mixture of blood, release, and poison that kept her mind warped. A vibrating breath left his lips as the half of the dragon pulled free. The collar of stone remained inside, holding its place should it be returned. Her inner walls closed partially around it, the collar no doubt being held in place by similar barbs. Only when the two halves were together could he remove it in its entirety.

Severus tossed the evil device to the floor before closing his eyes to the damage that it had left behind. How could anyone have ever dreamed of such a device? It made him question all of humanity. He swallowed down the bile that stuck in his throat before raising his hand for the dittany inlaid salve that rested beside his destoryed bed. It was the only way to ensure that the damage could be reversed.

He braced himself mentally for what he was about to do. His eyes turning up to her face. She was still staring listlessly off to the side but her hand had started to twitch, her brow ticking with confusion and pain. A small tear ran down her flushed cheek, caught in the lamplight from outside. It was heartbreaking, more than heartbreaking to see her so broken, so used, so defeated.

A deep shuddering breath brought his eyes back down, a wandless wave of his hand removing the blood-stained clothes and blood beneath. Why had he let her live? Why had he done any of this? What could the world possibly gain when there was nothing left of her to give?

Hermione's world was burning, every single nerve in her body alight with a flame that came from the inside. It wasn't the first time a pain such as this had threatened to take her from this world. Yet for some reason, she remained. Clinging to a life she could no longer remember. Then, like a ray of sun during an insurmountable storm, she felt his hands. Strong, yet kind, unimaginably so. The stone that had made its home inside her was gone and with it, the source of the flame.

Her breath evened out, slowly, deeply. Her mind turning in endless spirals as his hands soothed away all that threatened to tear her apart. His fingers felt like heaven inside her. Quenching the fire, soothing away the pain. It was different, not like the others that sought her release but rather, his fingers moved to calm her. An unparalleled feeling that none other had ever brought to her.

When his hand retreated, a soft whimper bubbled passed her lips, not of pain but of longing. A longing to feel safe and whole again. He had brought her that, in that moment, breathing new life into her will to carry on. She didn't know this man but she never wanted him to leave her side.

Her head turned, her eyes unknowingly turning towards his own, she couldn't seek him but she knew he was there. Her hand rose, her small fingers reaching towards him, wanting to feel him. To know him.

Severus cleared away the salve on his fingers before noticing her movement from the corner of his eye. His brow ticked to understand but his heart had already begun to reach out to her. His larger hand taking her own, bringing it to rest against his chest. Her fingers splayed out over the fabric of his coat before curling to find purchase. She needed him, he wasn't sure how he knew—he just knew.

As his last act, he pulled her trembling form into his arms. Her frame trembled but curled into his chest, holding as tight as she could. A slow breath turned him towards the door. Her head rolled heavily to rest under his chin, nuzzling the space as though it belonged there. He turned carefully, holding her tight before calling up the comforter from the floor to follow behind him.

Her hands weakly reached for him but he paid them no attention, taking the stairs as carefully as he could. Once in the study, he laid her out on the couch and wrapped her up in his blanket. He tucked it tightly around her but left one of her hands free, allowing her to explore.

Her fingers explored his neck and jaw, but her eyes didn't move. Locked in their half-lidded state. He kept her up, his hand cradling the back of her head that seemed too heavy for her to lift on her own; turning to bring the both of them onto the couch. Pulling her frame back to his chest, he let his head hang down, his eyes closing as her fingers explored every ridge of his face. He could feel her pulse thumping through her fingers but did not deny her.

His arms kept her close, her small form perfectly cradled in his lap, held protectively from the world. It wasn't until he felt her forehead pressing against his lips did he understand the merit of human comfort. So many nights having been left without a soul to care whether he lived or died. There in this moment, he let the world burn at his feet.